Takeuchi documents

The Takeuchi documents (Japanese: 竹内文書, Hepburn: Takeuchi monjo), also known as the Takeuchi scrolls or the Takeuchi monjo, are a collection of texts presented in 1935 by Kyōmaro Takeuchi, who claimed they were ancient Japanese records predating conventional accounts of Japanese history. The documents describe an alternative global history centered on Japan, including extended imperial genealogies and narratives involving figures such as Moses and Jesus. The documents are written in so-called "Divine Characters," manuscripts supposedly translated into a mixture of Chinese characters and katakana by Sukune Takeuchi's grandson, Heguri no Matori. They were supposedly written at imperial command of Emperor Buretsu. Mainstream historians and linguists regard the documents as modern forgeries or pseudohistorical texts, citing anachronistic language, implausible chronology, and the absence of verifiable provenance. Despite this scholarly consensus, the documents have influenced certain fringe religious movements and continue to attract adherents.