Does anyone know anything about an ancient Mayan/Japanese connection? [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

This is random, I know, but the Yucatan hurricane reminded me of a story told by a guide at Chichen Itza. The young man was Mayan, and, I would guess, an activist for his people. He expressed bitterness about Mayan artifacts having been taken to Harvard, where they, I assume, remain.

He told a story about an elderly Japanese visitor to Chichen Itza who was observed talking to an elderly worker there, in language they could both understand. He believed that his ancestors had come from Japan, and seemed proud of that fact.

I've done some Googling on this, and found nothing. I know there are people at DU knowledgeable about many different fields, and I wondered if there were people with knowledge of the Mayas -- their history and present-day plight, and the possibility of this Chichen Itza story being true.