A question about Japanese sound shifts.

My profound apologies if this question has been asked
before (the 'search' function is fighting me, because
I'm using a public computer and so is everyone else at
my university), but can someone explain the
incomprehensible Japanese sound shift of [b] to [h] to
me?

It seems to me that [h] was originally [p], but the
labial element was lost and the whole shebang became
fricatived, except in geminated [p:] (which explains
the paucity of short [p] in native Japanese words).

It also explains the opposition in the hiragana and
katakana between h, b (h with voicing marks) and p (h
with circle).

Is my suspicion correct? If so, when did this happen?

Also, did Japanese originally not have an [h]? This is
another suspicion of mine.

=====
"Alle Idole müssen sterben."
"All idols must die."

--Einstürzende Neubauten, "Seele Brennt" (Soul is on Fire)

"Where am I? What is this thing called 'the world'? Who is it who has lured me into
the thing, and now leaves me here? How did I come into the world? Why was I not
consulted?"

--Søren Kierkegaard

"You need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need
not even listen, simply wait, just learn to become quiet, and still, and
solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no
choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

--Franz Kafka, Journals


	

	
		
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