Ron Sakamoto Entry: Kageura versus Jubei, circa 1872 pt. 2

It appears that the vampire, Kageura, kidnapped Harker's wife, Mina.  Van Helsing, with a group of people, including Jubei, confronted Kageura inside the castle, which I gather is kind of around where Dodger Stadium now stands.

A compilation of Van Helsing's writings to come up with the battle:

"The two men stared at each other.  This wasn't a duel between man and monster, it was between two master swordsmen.  They respected each other.  In this moment, Kageura's humanity came out.  He stated that he is the one who is cursed, not Jubei.  Jubei only wore a kimono, but Kageura was in full armor. Kagura took off his armor to make the fight fair."

"Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi," proclaimed Jubei.

"Kageura Hidetora," replied back Kageura.

Ron Sakamoto Entry: Kageura versus Jubei pt. 1

It took all day, and although the full story of the battle with the Japanese vampire is not in one place, I think I've pieced together a fairly comprehensive story.

An attorney named Jonathan Harker had gone to Japan to finalize a real estate deal with a Japanese warlord.  Van Helsing mentored one of the early pioneers of mental health by the name of John Seward.  Seward and Harker were mutual friends of a woman named Lucy Westerna.  Lucy had been taken ill. Van Helsing concluded that it was the work of a vampire.

A mysterious Japanese samurai immigrant from Japan appeared.  Van Helsing wrote, "a stake through the heart won't kill these type of vampires, rather, the stomach must be slit, and then the body beheaded."  I couldn't find any other references to "these types of vampires," but I assume that there are differen types and different ways of destruction - not just the one few same way they show in movies.

Look at me, thinking vampires are real. What's scary is that after reading these things, and witnessing what I did at that party, I am starting to believe the existence of these creatures.

Van Helsing also described the Japanese samurai. Said his name was Jubei Yagyu. Hey, wait, wasn't that the famous samurai who disappeared back in the early-mid 1600's? (In real life, Jubei died in his  in his own village when he was 43 years old).   He described this samurai being tall, thin, with a forlorn lockof hair.  Why does this description sound so familiar?

Ron Sakamoto Entry: No, it couldn't be

Van Helsing's description of  Jubei fits that Japanese guy I keep running into.  But that is impossible. It would have been impossible in Van Helsing's time. Jubei was born in 1607. He would have been over 250 years old in Van Helsing's time, and he'd be over 400 years old, now. 

But vampires live forever.  What if Jubei was a vampire, also?

Jubei and the vampire fought. What if it was a battle between two vampires?  Or maybe Jubei is a vampire hunter.

This is just too much.  

I cam across Van Helsing's account of the sword fight - but I'd like to put together other writings that put that fight into context.

Ron Sakamoto entry: Asking Ma About Great Grandpa

My mother is the keeper of  great grandpa Van Helsing's personal writings.  I found out he is actually my great-great grandfather, and he was much much older than his wife, like about 30 or 40 years.

I asked her about what she knew regarding his chronicles about fighting a vampire in the 1870's.

She said the exact records of that one is lost, but it is referenced in some of his other writings. I asked if I could see them, or better yet, if any photos of him existed.  She said yes.

There was one photo, a portrait photo of a couple - they were my great great grand parents.  He looked like a scholar, hardly one who looked like one who would hand-fight a vampire and win, or even be competitive - but looks can be decieving. 

Now that I can kind of picture him, meanwhile Mom was bringing me tons of papers written by him.  I could begin my research. There was a lot of material to go through.

Ron Sakamoto Entry: Abraham Van Helsing

Abraham Van Helsing was my great great grandfather on my mother's side.  Old family tale says that he fought a vampire back int he late 19th century.  The vampire was a Japanese warlord, named Kageura.  Abraham Van Helsing was a medical doctor, but also a scientest and researcher.  He kept a journal.

One such journal was titled, "Sword of the Undead,"  Supposedly, this chronicles his fight against the vampire.  I've never seen this journal, but it is talked about a lot at family get-togethers.  There are some of his writings I have seen, which reference this journal. 

I need to find these writings.  Perhaps it will help me with this case. 

Great grandpa Van Helsing had other journals, in which he wrote about other supernatural beings, but those are currently missing, as well.

I also want to talk to that Japanese character with the anime haircut. I think he might provide me with some clues also.

The incident at that vampire party really freaked me out.  I am beginning to believe that maybe these creatures do exist for real.

Ron Sakamoto Entry: With the coroner

The coroner confirmed that there were two puncture marks in the neck, and he felt that was where the blood was drained.  He paused, as if he wasn't sure he was sane, or if he thought I would consider him insane.

He took me to the body and uncovered Candy's face, pointing to the neck.  "Here's where the puncture wounds were."  They were gone.

"Doctor, this is unbelievable, but I believe you. I saw them myself at the crime scene." A could hear the doctor breathe a sigh of relief.

"I don't understand it," he said.  "We are in the stone age of science, but I can only think of one thing, and that's not science, that's supernatural - out of my realm of believability."

"I thought the same thing you are now, at the crime scene."  But when I got home, I started thinking.
My great grandfather was a doctor by the name of Abraham Van Helsing.  He claimed to have come across a vampire in his day - so my relatives like to tell.   It made me interested in his notes.  I need to find them.

"Your name's Yamamoto? but on the paternal side was a Van Helsing?"

"Sakamoto. And Van Helsing was on my maternal side - Picture bride and all, but it wasn't legal at the time, you know, between Whites and Asians. So, their daughter married a Japanese man, and their daughter, my mother married a man named Sakamoto."

"Oh, well. I didn't mean to pry into your family history."

"That's okay. I have a feeling I'm going to start prying into it myself."