Please be aware that for close to 400 years, Spanish and American imperialists together with the Catholic Church has destroyed anything they deemed as “pagan” and a threat to their Western ideals so we have limited material to work on.

Also take note that I will be answering this question mostly in the Bisaya perspective since I am more familiar with that culture, but I am no way an expert nor do not claim to be one, I just happen to speak the language and read some books about precolonial Bisaya culture and history. I am also not going to pretend that I know much about Japanese culture, so please correct me if I am wrong.

Architecture.

Stilts

Japanese Shinmei-zukuri

Traditional 16th century Bisaya balay. (note the size of the pillars compared to the human).

Bisayan, “Bay or Balay” house, very common in all regions of the Philippines

#### Interior - sliding doors and windows ####

Japanese Shoji

Bisaya traditional “Lampirung” Windowpane oyster in doors and windows

#### More examples of Japanese and Filipino (Bisaya) houses ####

Japanese traditional Machiya Houses

Traditional thatched roof house in rural Japan

Traditional houses in Okinawa, Japan

Bisaya houses.

Note the obvious Chinese influence in these houses with its sometimes hip and garbled roofs and high ceilings in most of the images below similar to that in Japan. See East Asian hip-and-gable roof

First, some old terracotta models of old 10th - 11th-century Bisaya houses from northern Mindanao,

The next Bisaya houses will be from the 16th to the 19th century.

House in Balamban, Cebu (Facebook)

Clarin family house, Bohol built in 1844

Rocha house in Bohol built in the 1800s to the 1830s.

Below, the Beldia house in Bohol, originally built by the Butalid family in 1858

Yap-Sandiego house in Cebu, built between 1675 and 1700

Lucero house in Argao, Cebu, built in 1710

The Sarmiento-Osmena house in Carcar, Cebu built in 1859

Gorordo house in Cebu built 1840-1863

Argao, Cebu, Town Hall, notice the horn like protrusions on the top of the roof

Cebu Botika

Below is a building in Parian, Cebu built in 1730. Notice the same curved roof style, unknown in other parts or ethnic groups in the Philippines. Parian or Padian (pa-dian) is from Minnan “Dian” (店) which means, store.

Seems like there’s a lot similarities in the house architecture of both Japan and the Philippines. Rural stilt and thatched roof houses in rural Japan and traditional houses of Okinawa have a lot of similarities to the houses in the Bisaya areas of Cebu and Bohol as well as the terracotta artifact from Butuan in Northeast Mindanao.

Update:

Sept. 29, 2022.

After a bit of digging around and connecting with the locals from Bohol, I was informed that this Bisaya style of architecture with the curved East Asian hip-and-gable roof is called “TAL” in old Bisaya language, named after the “tal” which in Bisaya means old, prominent or established families.

### Fortifications ###

Japanese castle, Matsue.

A fortress or in Bisaya language, a “Moog”, located in Boljoon, Cebu built in 1808 (notice the East Asian hip-and-gable like roof )

### Temples ###

Byodo-in Buddhist Temple in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine in Tokyo, Japan

Taoist Temple in Cebu

Kuan Tao Sian Tian Temple, Cebu

Philippine Chinese Spiritual Temple, Cebu

### Buddhist Iconography ###

Japan follows Zen Buddhism which came from China via Korea as Chen Buddhism.

Bisaya people prior to the invasion of the Spanish devils, followed Vajrayana Tantric Buddhism which originally came from Tibetan Buddhism (see Visayan artifacts below).

I was recently made aware that some segments of the Japanese Buddhists, still adhere to Vajrayana Buddhism, which they call the “Shingon” sect of Buddhism.

• Notice that the axe (in bisaya it’s “wasay”) above looks similar to Phurba axes from Tibet below showing a connection to the two civilizations.

### Fu Dogs / shishi ###

Japan

Philippines, Fu Dogs in the Philippines tend to look like actual dogs rather than lions.

Dividers

• Japanese - Byōfu (屏風)

• Bisaya - Bayumbo (屏風)

Parasol

• Japanese

• Bisaya

Umbrellas

• Japanese

• Bisaya / Filipino (in Bisaya, umbrellas are called “payong”)

Clothing.

### Hats ###

Japanese hats

Visayan Salakot / Sarok / Takukong hats

saruk n 1 a wide-brimmed hat with a sharp metal point at the center, tapering to the brim, usually made of buri palm leaves and black climbing fern (nítù), used as a protection against the sun.

source:

*Note: These finials are called “suyak” in Bisaya

Takukong hats, usually made for kids.

### Headgear ###

Japanese Hachimaki

Bisaya Tubaw (Binisaya Dictionary) from Minnan,”thâu-phè” (頭巾)

Japanese Tenugui

Bisaya Pudong (English to Binisaya - Cebuano Dictionary and Thesaurus. ) from Middle Chinese: puwk + duw : headwear ( 襆頭/幞頭)

### Full Attire ###

Japanese

Suot Bisaya

SINULOG is also called “kangan” in Cebu, especially in Lapu-Lapu City. Kangan jackets can either have “gansing (hook & eye/buttons)” or not.

*note that the bracelets are called BAKLAW or BINUKAW, bangle braceless are called Kasikas, and the necklace is called a TAKLAY

Source: Barangay 16th Century Philippine Culture and Society - Part 1 The Visayas

Japanese belt/sash

Bisaya HULUN

Japanese

Bisaya

Baro is more properly pronounced in Bisaya as Bado, Bayo or Baju, is from Minnan, Hok-Ju (複襦), meaning outside upper shirt.

Note: Surigao was part of the Visayan Rajahnate of Butuan, their last King, Rajah Awi was cousin to Rajah Humabon of Cebu and he was present during the Blood Compact between Humabon and Magellan.

Source: Pigafetta's Dictionary

Bisaya men wear patadyong too, especially after a circumcision

### Loincloth ###

Japanese

Bisaya man wearing a loincloth called BAHAG in Bisaya language

### JACKETS ###

Japanese

In Bisaya, Jackets are called SOPA and they have an uncanny similarity to Song Dynasty, China’s jackets.

Japanese Yukata

Robes

The Bisaya also have something similar to the Japanese Yukata, but the Bisaya version is sleeveless called a saobsaob. It is used as a workshirt.
Below is called a Saobsaob

Below is a saobsaob that has sleeves, unlike the traditional saobsaob.

The Japanese often wear clothes with a layered lapel.

Similarly, the Bisaya also wear such style of clothing for day to day settings.

In Bisaya, it’s called “Uran” which became synonymous with “work clothes”, or “common clothes” but is from Minnan Chinese (Hokkien), “iu+ran” (右衽).

The main difference between the Japanese and Bisaya clothing is that according to documentation, the Bisaya sleeves were narrow as opposed to the wide sleeves of Japanese clothing.

This is due to the fact that, Bisaya “uran” like other items of Bisaya clothing is a copy of Song Dynasty’s clothing which was known for its narrow sleeves.

Below is Tamblot, a Bisaya hero wearing uran.

Tunic

Japanese tunic below.

Bisaya.

Below the tunic is called a lambong, from Middle Chinese: lan + phau (襴袍).

Fashion and clothing in the Philippines - Wikipedia

Miscellaneous:

I know this is a Japanese and Filipino comparison but as I was surfing up the web, I saw some interesting similarities in the terminologies used in mainland Southeast Asia and the Bisaya.

Sinina (upper shirt) - Bisaya

Sinh (clothing) - Lao

Sablay - Bisaya shawl

Sbai - Thai/Khmer shawl

Sampot - Bisaya bottom/butt/base

Sampot - Khmer lower garment

Sompot Chong Kben - Thai lower garment

Patadyong - Bisaya tube skirt

Pa Teen Jok - Thai tube skirt

Suot Bisaya - Bisaya clothes

Xout lao - Lao clothes

Chut Thai - Thai clothes

I do not think these are coincidences.

Below is Khmer or Thai Sampot/Sompot

Sampot chang samloy

Here is a HABUL being worn as baggy pants

Different ways of using PATADYONG, the Maranao call this piece of clothing, MALONG but it’s the same thing except for the patterns used.

### Footwear ###

Japanese

For the Bisaya footwear, we have the Sapin, Bakya, Suwalo, Dapa and Kutsu.

Filipino (general) all throughout the archipelago, these Filipino sandals are called BAKYA. Borrowed from Minnan/Hokkien 木屐 (ba̍k-kiah, “wooden clogs”). Worn by both men and women.

Bisaya straw sandals, called SUWALO

The Bisaya didn’t have socks originally or medyas, instead we had footwraps called SAPIN.

#### Armor ###

Japanese

Bisaya Armor

Bisayan helmet, called “kawo” from Middle Chinese: khwoj and Southern Min, khoe (盔)

Bisaya armor are called “Baluti or Baruti”

This type of Bisaya armor is called PAKILI

Cuirass type armor is called SAOB in Bisaya, not to be confused with the Saobsabo which is a piece of clothing

Pigafetta's Binisaya Dictionary

Cebuano to English Dictionary and Thesaurus.

Does this count as armor? These cuffs are called DALAK or KARAMKAM in Bisaya

Source: Barangay 16th Century Philippine Culture and Society - Part 1 The Visayas 

WEAPONS

• Japanese katana

• Bisaya Talibong sword

Visayan Pinuti swords

• Kampilan sword common in Visayas and Mindanao, said to be the sword wielded by LapuLapu himself

• Talibong from Panay island in western Visayas.

• More Bisaya weapons were unearthed in Northern Mindanao, from the Bisaya kingdom of Butuan.

Below are Kalis swords, and directly below is a Kalis sword from Bohol island, notice that Bisaya swords from Visayas and Mindanao tend to be straight and larger than those found in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Balaraw/Baraw/Baladaw swords unearthed in Cebu, Bohol and Butuan. This is an supplementary sword similar to the Japanese wazikashi.

Glaive Polearms

Japanese Naginata

Bisaya, “togdan”.

The togdan below is from the 10th century.

Spears

Japanese Yari

Bisaya spears in general are called bangkaw.

Long and thin variants are bangkaw, as it is the most common variant of spear.

While the wider, diamond shaped one are called budjak in Bisaya.

Bisaya Panabas

Bisayan panabas looks similar to other Bisayan blades with having a “belly”.

Below is an atabas in a weapons exhibition in Cebu City, Visayas Region.

### Shields ###

Japanese shields

### The Bisaya too used shields ###

Here is an illustration of Pedro Alcina of Bisaya KARASAG/KALASAG (rectangular) and TAMING (round) shields.

Notice the badaw/baladaw on the warrior’s hip.

• source: from the Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas (c. 1668) by Francisco Ignacio Alcina

TAMING - Round shields

### Artillery ###

Japanese cannon

Bisaya cannon, “lantaka” in Cebu (Binisaya - Lantaka)

more Visayan lantakas (notice the snake heads) from Surigao in Northeast Mindanao.

even more lantakas

### RIFLES ###

Japanese

Bisaya Luthang rifle (meaning small lantaka) was used by the Bisaya since 1711 from the Indonesian style arquebues rifle.

Bisaya Arquebus called Surit-surit

### Raincoats ###

Japanese

In Binisaya, the raincoat below is called Samsuy, sometimes made with anahaw leaves

English to Binisaya - Cebuano Dictionary and Thesaurus.

### RAIDING (specifically raiding China) ###

Japanese wokou pirates attacking China and Korea with their large boats.

The Bisaya too had similar looking wide boats.

The items below were unearthed from Agusan, dated around the 10th century

Notice the cloud pattern on the sail.

Similar to a lot of Japanese and Chinese motifs.

Also the garuda reminds me of the Japanese tengu.

Pirates

Bisaya PANGAYAW or raiding using Karakoas with mounted LANTAKAS

More Visayan boats

Below is a Balangay (10th century-onwards)

Timawa of the Bisaya in China

Source: Illustrations by link in Facebook

### Martial Arts ###

Japanese

Filipino/Bisaya

### Tatooing ###

Japanese

Bisaya

Visayan tattoo design

### Palanquins ###

Japanese

Filipino, in Binisaya these hammocks are called DUYAN

• Duyans were used in World War 2

The Bisaya also have sedan chairs called Pinggahan.

Another example below, the Spanish labels the sedan chair, tuang, which in old Bisaya means, “transporting something in difficult conditions, either due to the weight of the load or the roughness of the path.” (Bisaya-Español Dictionary, 1885). Synonymous with usong, which means carrying a person by your shoulders (Bisaya-Español Dictionary, 1885, pg. 267).

### Eating ###

Japanese

Japanese outdoor dining

Bisaya - traditional Bisaya YAKA dining using low tables called Latuk

Bisaya outdoor dining, PUNGKO PUNGKO using low tables, called TALAD

In Bisaya, chopsticks are called SIPIT, from the Hokkien, 栓筆／栓笔 = sng-pit, “holding pin as referred to by the 1882 Bisaya Dictionary, but some call it as, Tungan or Tirongan.

Incense

• Japanese

• Bisaya

Smoking Rituals

• Japanese

• Bisaya

Palina - this practice is still being actively practised, especially in fishing villages.

Food

Japanese onigiri

Bisaya hanging rice or in Bisaya language, “PUSO”

Traditional Religion

• Japanese Shinto - Animism
• Japanese Shinto priest, kannushi

• Japanese Miko (female shaman)

• Filipino Anito - Animism. Anito means spirit-deity in Binisaya
• Bisaya Asog (male shaman/minister), below is Tamblot from Bohol who fought against the Spanish imperialists and the Catholic Church. He mainly fought to preserve the customs and cultures of the Bisaya people.
• Tamblot below is wearing an “uran”, work clothes, from Minnan Chinese (Hokkien), “iu+ran” (右衽). Similar to the lapel clothing of the Japanese like Kimono and Yukata.

• Bisaya Babaylan or Baylan (female shaman/priestess) doing a paganito ritual.
• Paganito in Bisaya means the rituals associated with the Anito or spirits and the Diwata or gods. It could also mean rituals for the kalag/kag (souls) of your ancestors or to invoke ancestor spirit helpers/companions/guides called Umalagad.

Altars / Offerings

• Japanese

• Bisaya

Modern Japanese words vs Bisaya

I understand some of them are from either Middle Chinese or Hokkien.

Another point of similarity between the Japanese and the Bisaya is our heavy use of Middle Chinese and Minnan/Hokkien vocabulary.

But unfortunately for the Bisaya, our ancestors took too long to begin Sinicization (10th century), while the Japanese were able to adopt classical Chinese culture from a much earlier timeline.

I believe, that if we had a strong foundation in Chinese culture, we would have been able to properly resist the Western colonizers, just like most Sinicized countries, save for Vietnam.

nomu (drink) === inom (drink)

gohan (rice) === kan-on (rice)

kore (this) === kiri (this)

kano (that • かの) === kana (that)

basha (coach; carriage; wagon; cart • 馬車 = ばしゃ) === balsa (cart or sled)

ochinchin (male private parts) === oten or ten-ten (male private parts)

buta (pig) === butakal (male pig)

inu (dog) === iro or idu (dog)

tokage (lizard) ==== tiki (lizard), toko (gecko)

yochi (unused plot of land; glade • 餘地) === yuta (land)

ohayo (greeting) === ayo (greeting)

oni (ogre, demon) === ungo (monster)

yokai (demon) === yawa (demon)

akuma (demon) === ogima (demon)

aybo (partner) === abay (companion)

toyo (soy sauce) === toyo (soy sauce)

kaban (bag) === kaban (box)

tobari とばり (curtain) === tabil (curtain)

byōbu 屏風 (divider) === bayumbo (divider)

kutsu (shoes) === kutsu (slippers)

dafu (lord, used by the ancient Japanese to address their leader local when visiting China • 大夫) === datu (lord)

I notice that a lot of similarities between Japanese and Bisaya are from household items. Which leads me to assume that the Japanese or their Ryukyuan cousins were selling these products from Ryukyu, Japan and/or China to Southeast Asia, including the areas populated by the Bisaya.

I have read from somewhere that the Ryukyu kingdom was a maritime trading empire that dominated trade in Southeast Asia prior to being sadly colonized by Japan in 1879.

Comparison between the Old Japanese Language and Bisaya language

are (I) === ari (here, to me)

i (you) === ikaw (you)

titi (father) === tatay (father)

opodi (grandfather) === apohan (grandparent)

ye (older brother) === iyo (elder), kuya (older brother)

oto (younger brother) === otod (sibling)

me (eye) === mata (eye)

kami (deities/spirits) === kami (we/us)

wi (boar) === iwik (boar sound)

kake (chicken) === kokok (a type of big bird)

ki (tree) === kahoy (tree/wood)

pa (leaf) === pakli (leaf)

awo (blue) === bughaw (blue)

kuro (black) === kurong (dark veil)

na (name) === ngan (name)

akatuki (early morning) === aga (early morning, 1885 Bisaya - Espanol Dictionary )

tosi (year) === tuig (year)

pi (fire) === apoy (fire) from Tagalog language. swelling in the body in the Bisaya language.

ama (heaven) === ama (father)

tuti (soil) === yuta (soil)

nani (what?) === ngano (why?)

iduku (where) === diin (where)

ikani (how) === ingon ani (like this)

Resources:

English to Binisaya - Cebuano Dictionary and Thesaurus.

English to Binisaya - Cebuano Dictionary and Thesaurus.

Devata - Wikipedia

Prehispanic CEBU

Supernatural

• Japanese Yokai

• Bisaya has “di-ingun-nato” which means, “those that are not of us”.
• Below, the Bisayan “yawa” has the same cognate of the root word “yao” from the Chinese “yao” (妖), which is “yo” in Japanese “yokai”.

Unglo more commonly pronounced as Ungo, similar to the Japanese Oni ( 鬼 （ おに ） ) .

Although in Bisaya the Chinese character 鬼 is pronounced “guhuy” which is closer to the Hokkien/Min “ kúi”, and more similar in meaning as well to mean, “ghost or spectre”. As seen in the name “Dagohoy” the Bisayan hero that orchestrated the longest revolt in Philippine history, (85 years), and was labeled a ghost, since the Spanish invaders can never catch him, hence his nickname, 大鬼 = Da Guhuy, Great Ghost.

The Japanese pronunciation of 悪魔 is Akuma to mean devil and pronounced “Ogima” in Bisaya. Both the Japanese and the Bisaya borrowed it from Middle Chinese “ak ma” or Hokkien/Min “ok-mo” (惡魔).

The Aswangs are common in the entire archipelago not just for the Bisaya.

Society

• Feudal Japan

• Feudal Bisaya structure

Recent history.

The two biggest metropolitan areas of the Bisaya people are Metro Cebu, (located in Cebu province, Central Visayas) and Metro Davao (located in Mindanao).

Both areas have a considerable connection with the Japanese. With Cebu being province with the most number of Japanese expats, while Davao has the highest number of Filipinos with Japanese roots. In fact, the Japanese have been living in Davao before it became a city. They used to account for 1/4 of the population.

Below, Japanese people in Davao.

REFERENCES

Laarhoven, Ruurdje. The Maguindanao Sultanate in the 17th Century: Triumph of Moro Diplomacy. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1989.

Majul, Cesar Adib. “Political and Historical Notes on the Old Sulu Sultanate.” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 38, no. 1 (1965): 23-42.

Mednick, Melvin. “Some Problems of Moro History and Political Organization.” Philippine Sociological Review 5, no. 1 (1957): 39-52.

Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1994.

Tiongson, Nicanor G., ed. 1994. CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Volume II. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines.