Japanese Rastafarianism: A Not-So Farfetched Idea After All

As I was revising Angelic Guardians: The Memory last night, a sudden thought struck me. I had designed the character Raian Daishizenno/On'ai based on my old high school crush, but the inspiration had no interest in attending church while we attended school together, and he was a huge pothead. Moreover, he was also a hardcore Bob Marley fan. So, after learning more about Marley's religious background in college, I created Raian to represent Rastafarianism but with the acceptance of Jesus' second coming instead of Ras Tafari's, which ultimately makes Raian a Messianic Rastafarian.

Doesn't seem to be much of a problem, right? Wrong. Not only is Raian a Rasta, but he's also a Japanese Rasta. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? Japanese? Rastafarian? They don't look right, and they certainly don't sound right.

Actually, it makes complete sense! I came across a website concerning Rastafarianism around the world (you can find it at http://www.howtogrowbud.com/info/rastafari/ ), and with a coexist country like Japan, it was no surprise I found this paragraph:

A small but devoted Rasta community developed in Japan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rasta shops selling natural foods, Reggae recordings, and other Rasta-related items sprang up in Tokyo, Osaka, and other cities. For several years, “Japan Splashes” or open-air Reggae concerts were held in various locations throughout Japan. For a review by two sociologists of how the Japanese Rasta movement can be explained in the context of modern Japanese society, see Dean W. Collinwood and Osamu Kusatsu, “Japanese Rastafarians: Non-Conformity in Modern Japan,” The Study of International Relations, No. 26, Tokyo: Tsuda College, March 2000 (research conducted in 1986 and 1987).

And given the fact that Raian was born in Tokyo in 1988, linking him with Rastafarianism/Messianic Rastafarianism only seems natural despite of his Japanese heritage. It's unclear, however, if such religion still exists in Japan today. If so, then let The Memory shed some light onto it through Raian Daishizenno.

Now if you will excuse me, I think I'm hearing "One Love/People Great Ready" on the radio.