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{{short description|Period of Japanese history from 300 to 538}}
'''Kofun''' is an era in the history of ] from around A.D. ] to A.D.]. A kofun is any tomb (]) of this kind.
{{History of Japan |periods|image=NintokuTomb Aerial photograph 2007.jpg|caption=], the tomb of ] in ], one of the ]}}


The {{nihongo|'''Kofun period'''|古墳時代|Kofun jidai}} is an era in the ] from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of ]), following the ]. The Kofun and the subsequent ]s are sometimes collectively called the ]. This period is the earliest era of ] in Japan, but studies depend heavily on archaeology since the chronology of historical sources tends to be distorted. The word '']'' is Japanese for the type of ] dating from this era.
]
The Kofun period (ca. A.D. 250- ]) takes its name, which means old tomb (古墳 ''kofun'') from the culture's rich ] rituals and distinctive earthen mounds. The mounds contained large stone burial chambers. Some are surrounded by ]s. By the late Kofun period, the distinctive burial chambers, originally used by the ruling elite, also were built for commoners.


It was a period of cultural import. Continuing from the Yayoi period, the Kofun period is characterized by influence from ] and the ]; archaeologists consider it a shared culture across the southern Korean Peninsula, ] and ].<ref>Barnes, Gina L. The Archaeology of East Asia: The Rise of Civilization in China, Korea and Japan (Oxford: Oxbow books, 2015), 271-275; 331-360</ref> On the other hand, the most prosperous keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Japan during this period were approximately 5,000 in Japan from the middle of the 3rd century in the Yayoi period to the 7th century in the Asuka period, and many of them had huge tombs,<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005836992/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208011845/https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005836992/|title=A consideration of reconstructing our image of the Kofun period: does the period of keyhole tombs predate the Ritsuryo state?|author=Kazuo Hirose|journal=国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告 = Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History |publisher=]|date=March 2009|volume=150 |doi=10.15024/00001685 |archive-date=8 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=Kazuo Yanagisawa|year=2007|chapter=前方後円墳|title=東アジア考古学辞典|publisher=Tokyodo Shuppan|isbn=978-4490107128}}</ref> but in the southern Korean Peninsula there were only 13 from the 5th century to the 6th century, and the tombs were small. Wall decorations and Japanese-style armor, which are characteristic of older Japanese burial mounds, were excavated from 5th century burial mounds in the southern Korean Peninsula. This shows that Japan and the southern Korean Peninsula influenced each other.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rekihaku.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2422&item_no=1&attribute_id=22&file_no=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404051242/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3APN5bUQ1G2VAJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Frekihaku.repo.nii.ac.jp%2F%3Faction%3Drepository_action_common_download%26item_id%3D2422%26item_no%3D1%26attribute_id%3D22%26file_no%3D1+&cd=9&hl=ja&ct=clnk&gl=jp|title=An Analysis of the Background of Japanese-style Tombs Builtin the Southwestern Korean Peninsula in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries|author=Kanta Takata|publisher=]|url-status=live|archive-date=4 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kiu.repo.nii.ac.jp/index.php?action=pages_view_main&active_action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=262&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1&page_id=25&block_id=33|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404081032/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2nPSNI6g2cgJ:https://kiu.repo.nii.ac.jp/index.php%3Faction%3Dpages_view_main%26active_action%3Drepository_action_common_download%26item_id%3D262%26item_no%3D1%26attribute_id%3D18%26file_no%3D1%26page_id%3D25%26block_id%3D33+&cd=10&hl=ja&ct=clnk&gl=jp|script-title=ja:朝鮮半島南部に倭人が造った前方後円墳 : 古代九州との国際交流|author=Park Cheon-Soo|date=March 2010|archive-date=4 April 2022}}</ref>
]
Kofun came in many shapes, with round and square being the simplest. A distinct style is the keyhole (zemp&#333; k&#333;en) kofun, with its square front and round back (as seen from above). Many kofun were natural hills, which might have been sculpted to their final shape. Kofun range in size from several meters to over 400&nbsp;]s in length. The biggest kofun are believed to be the tombs of emperors like ] and ]. Kofun are also classified according to whether the entrance to the stone burial chamber is vertical (tate-ana) or horizontal (yoko-ana).


According to the '']'', ] and the ] were introduced near the end of the period from ]. The Kofun period recorded Japan's earliest political centralization, when the ] rose to power in southwestern Japan, established the ], and helped control trade routes across the region.<ref name=":0">Denoon, Donald ''et al.'' (2001). {{Google books|XUw6kiX9LQ0C|''Multicultural Japan: Palaeolithic to Postmodern,'' p. 107.|page=107}}</ref>
During the Kofun period, a highly aristocratic society with militaristic rulers developed. Its ] wore armor, carried ]s and other weapons, and used advanced military methods like those of Northeast Asia. Evidence of these advances is seen in funerary figures (called '']''; literally, clay rings), found in thousands of ''kofun'' scattered throughout Japan. The most important of the '']'' were found in southern ]--especially the ] around ]--and northern ]. ''Haniwa'' grave offerings were made in numerous forms, such as horses, chickens, birds, fans, fish, houses, weapons, shields, sunshades, pillows, and male and female humans. Another funerary piece, the ], became one of the symbols of the power of the imperial house. Much of the ] of the Kofun period is barely distinguishable from those of the contemperaneous Southern Korean Peninsula, demonstrating that at this time Japan was in close political and economic contact with continental Asia through Korea.


==Kofun tombs==
]
] ({{ill|Nakatsuyama Kofun|ja|仲ツ山古墳}} in ], 5th century)]]
The Kofun period was a critical stage in Japan's evolution toward a more cohesive and recognized state. This society was most developed in the Kinai Region and the easternmost part of the Inland Sea (]). Japan's rulers of the time even petitioned the Chinese court for confirmation of royal titles.
])]]
Kofun (from ] ''kú'' 古 "ancient" + ''bjun'' 墳 "burial mound")<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jisho.org/search/%23kanji%20%E5%8F%A4|title=古|website=Jisho.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jisho.org/search/%E5%A2%B3%20%23kanji|title=墳|website=Jisho.org}}</ref> are ] built for members of the ruling class from the 3rd to the 7th centuries in Japan,<ref name="keally">{{cite web|url=http://www.t-net.ne.jp/~keally/kofun.html|title=Kofun Culture|first=Charles T.|last=Keally|date=2009-04-29|access-date=2009-05-30}}</ref> and the Kofun period takes its name from the distinctive earthen mounds. The mounds contained large stone burial chambers, and some are surrounded by ]s.


Kofun have four basic shapes: round and square are the most common, followed by 'scallop-shell' and 'keyhole.' The keyhole tomb is a distinct style found only in Japan, with a square front and round back. Kofun range in size from several meters to over 400 meters long, and unglazed pottery figures ('']'') were often buried under a kofun's circumference.
The Yamato ], which emerged by the late ], was distinguished by powerful great clans or extended families, including their dependents. Each clan was headed by a ] who performed sacred rites to the clan's '']'' to ensure the long-term welfare of the clan. Clan members were the aristocracy, and the kingly line that controlled the Yamato court was at its pinnacle. The Kofun Period of Japanese culture is also sometimes called the Yamato Period by some Western Scholars, since this local Chieftain ship eventually rose up to become the Imperial Dynasty at the end of the Kofun Period. Japanese archaeologists find this a little predeterministic and emphasise the fact that in the early half of the Kofun Period other regional Chieftainships, such as ] near modern day ] were in close contention for the crown.


===Development===
More exchange occurred between Japan and the continent of Asia late in the Kofun period. Buddhism was introduced from Korea, probably in A.D. 538, exposing Japan to a new body of religious doctrine. The ], a Japanese court family that rose to prominence with the accession of the ] about A.D. ], favored the adoption of Buddhism and of governmental and cultural models based on Chinese ]. But some at the Yamato court--such as the ] (later known as ]) family, which was responsible for performing ] rituals at court, and the ], a military clan--were set on maintaining their prerogatives and resisted the alien religious influence of ]. The ] introduced Chinese-modeled fiscal policies, established the first national treasury. Acrimony continued between the Soga and the Nakatomi and Mononobe clans for more than a century, during which the Soga temporarily emerged ascendant.
]'' armour and helmet, with gilt bronze decoration, 5th century CE (])]]
The oldest Japanese kofun is reportedly ] in ], which dates to the late 3rd century. In the Makimuku district of Sakurai, later keyhole kofuns (], Shibuya Mukaiyama Kofun) were built during the early 4th century. The keyhole kofun spread from ] to ]—with giant kofun, such as Daisenryō Kofun—and then throughout the country during the 5th century. Keyhole kofun disappeared later in the 6th century, probably because of the drastic reformation of the Yamato court; '']'' records the introduction of Buddhism at this time. The last two great kofun are the {{convert|190|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} ] in Osaka (currently believed by scholars to be the tomb of ]) and the {{convert|135|m|ft|adj=mid|long}} Iwatoyama kofun in Fukuoka, recorded in ''Fudoki of Chikugo'' as the tomb of Iwai (political archrival of ]). Kofun burial mounds on the island of ] and two very old ] on the island of ] suggest that these islands were the southern boundary of the ];<ref name=":0" /> it extended north to ] in the present-day ], where excavated mounds have been associated with a person closely linked to the Yamato kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120916001832.htm|title=Yamato kingdom traces found in Niigata Pref.|date=September 17, 2012|newspaper=Daily Yomiuri Online|access-date=September 23, 2012}}</ref>


==Yamato court==
The Kofun period is seen as ending by A.D. 538, when the use of elaborate ''kofun'' by the Yamato and other elite fell out of use because of prevailing new Buddhist beliefs, which put greater emphasis on the transience of human life. Commoners and the elite in outlying regions, however, continued to use kofun until the late ], and simpler but distinctive tombs continued in use throughout the following period. The Kofun period was followed by the ].
{{Unreferenced|section|date=May 2024}}{{Main|Yamato Kingship}}
] is usually believed to have begun about 250 AD, and it is generally agreed that Yamato rulers had keyhole-kofun culture and ] in Yamato until the ]. Autonomy of local powers remained throughout the period, particularly in Kibi (the present-day ]), Izumo (current ]), Koshi (current ] and ]), Kenu (northern ]), Chikushi (northern ]), and Hi (central Kyūshū). During the 6th century, the Yamato clans began to dominate the southern half of Japan. According to the '']'', Yamato relationships with China probably began in the late 4th century.


The Yamato ], which emerged by the late 5th century, was distinguished by powerful ]s (豪族, '']''). Each clan was headed by a patriarch (氏上, ''Uji-no-kami''), who performed sacred rituals to the clan's '']'' (objects of worship) to ensure its long-term welfare. Clan members were the aristocracy, and the royal line which controlled the Yamato court was at its zenith. Clan leaders were awarded '']'', inherited titles denoting rank and political standing which replaced family names.
''See also: ]''


The Kofun period is called the Yamato period by some Western scholars, since this local chieftainship became the imperial dynasty at the end of the period. However, the Yamato clan ruled just one polity among others during the Kofun era. Japanese archaeologists emphasise that other regional chieftainships (such as ]) were in close contention for dominance in the first half of the Kofun period; Kibi's Tsukuriyama Kofun is Japan's fourth-largest.
== References ==

* ]:
]
The ] exercised power over clans in ] and ], bestowing titles (some hereditary) on clan chieftains. The Yamato name became synonymous with Japan as Yamato rulers suppressed other clans and acquired agricultural land. Based on ] models (including the adoption of the ]), they began to develop a central administration and an imperial court attended by subordinate clan chieftains with no permanent capital. Powerful clans were the ], ], ] and ] clans in the ] and ]s and the ] clans in the ]. The ] and ]s were military leaders, and the ] and ] clans handled rituals. The Soga clan provided the government's chief minister, the Ōtomo and Mononobe clans provided secondary ministers, and provincial leaders were called '']''. Craftsmen were organized into guilds.

==={{anchor|Territorial expansion of Yamato}}Territorial expansion===
]
In addition to archaeological findings indicating a local monarchy in ] as an important rival, the legend of the 4th-century Prince ] alludes to the borders of the ] and battlegrounds in the region; a frontier was near the later ] (eastern present-day ]). Another frontier, in ], was apparently north of present-day ]. According to the legend, there was an eastern land in ] "whose people disobeyed the imperial court" and against whom ] was sent to fight.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} It is unclear if the rival country was near the Yamato nucleus or further away. ] is mentioned as a location where prince Yamato Takeru traveled on his military expedition.

The period's northern frontier was explained in '']'' as the legend of ] (四道将軍, "Shōguns to four ways") expedition. One of four '']s'', Ōbiko set out northward to Koshi and his son Take Nunakawawake left for the eastern states. The father moved east from northern Koshi, and the son moved north;{{contradict-inline|date=September 2018|reason=See previous sentence.}} they met at Aizu, in present-day western ]. Although the legend is probably not factual, Aizu is near southern Tōhoku (the northern extent of late-4th-century keyhole-kofun culture).

===Ōkimi===
], a late kofun in ]]]
During the Kofun period, an aristocratic society with ] rulers developed. The period was a critical stage in Japan's evolution into a cohesive, recognized state. The society was most developed in the ] and the eastern ]. Japan's rulers petitioned the Chinese court for confirmation of royal titles.

While the rulers' title was officially "King", they called themselves ''"]"'' (大王, "Great King") during this period. Inscriptions on two swords (the ] and ]s) read ''Amenoshita Shiroshimesu'' (治天下; "ruling Heaven and Earth") and ''Ōkimi'', indicating that the rulers invoked the ]. The title ''Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi'' was used until the 7th century, when it was replaced by '']''.

==={{anchor|Clans of the Yamato Court}}Clans===
Many of the clans and local chieftains who made up the Yamato polity claimed descent from the imperial family or '']''. Archaeological evidence for the clans is found on the Inariyama Sword, on which the bearer recorded the names of his ancestors to claim descent from ''Ōbiko'' (大彦, recorded in the '']'' as a son of ]). A number of clans claimed origin in China or the Korean Peninsula.

During the 5th century, the ] (葛城氏, descended from the legendary grandson of ]) was the most prominent power in the court and intermarried with the imperial family. After the clan declined, late in the century, it was replaced by the ]. When Emperor Buretsu died with no apparent heir, ] recommended ] (a distant imperial relative in ]) as the new monarch. Kanamura resigned due to the failure of his diplomatic policies, and the court was controlled by the ] and ]s at the beginning of the ].

=={{anchor|Kofun society}}Society==
===Toraijin===
{{main|Toraijin}}
] (])]]
'']'' refers to people who immigrated to Japan from abroad via the ] or the Korean Peninsula. They introduced numerous, significant aspects of ] to Japan such as Chinese writing system and ] from India. Valuing their knowledge and culture, the Yamato government gave preferential treatment to ''toraijin''.<ref name="Kōzō311">{{cite book
| last = Kōzō
| first = Yamamura
|author2=John Whitney Hall
| title = The Cambridge history of Japan
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 1997
| isbn = 0-521-22354-7
|page=311
}}</ref> According to the 815 book, '']'', 317 of 1,182 clans in the ] region of Honshū were considered to have foreign ancestry. 163 were of Chinese origin (written as "Kan"), 104 from ] ("Paekche" in the older romanization), 41 from ], 6 from ], and 3 from ].<ref name="Saeki">Saeki (1981)</ref> They may have immigrated to Japan between 356 and 645.

===Influential immigrants===
Some of the many immigrants that had significant influence in Kofun period Japan included ], ] and ], the founders of ]/],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Takaoka |first1=Nobuyuki |last2=片岡 |first2=伸行 |date=2023-07-31 |title=神々のルーツ 明日香の地と「今木神」 – 全日本民医連 |url=https://www.min-iren.gr.jp/?p=48205 |website=www.min-iren.gr.jp |publisher=Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本民主医療機関連合会) |language=Japanese}}</ref> ]<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=都市史01 ~秦氏~ |trans-title=History of the City 01 ~Hata clan~ |url=https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/somu/rekishi/fm/nenpyou/htmlsheet/toshi01.html |website=] |language=Japanese |format=}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=「伊奈利社創祀前史」 ~伏見稲荷大社~ |url=https://inari.jp/about/history/num11/ |access-date= |website=inari.jp}}</ref> and ],<ref name="森.門脇1977">{{Cite book |author=森浩一, 門脇禎二 |url=https://iss.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I000002692424-00 |title=渡来人 : 尾張・美濃と渡来文化 |publisher=大巧社 |year=1997 |isbn=4924899232 |series=春日井シンポジウム |language=Japanese |id={{JPNO|99011294}}}}</ref><ref name=":03">『古代国家と天皇』創元社、1957年</ref> respectively. Despite being ethnically similar, many immigrants from ] and ] had arrived in Japan during ]'s reign carrying separate identities and foreign deities such as the '']'' ].<ref name="Higo">Higo, Kazuo. "Inari Shinkō no Hajime". ''Inari Shinkō'' (ed. Hiroji Naoe). Tokyo: Yūzankaku Shuppan, 1983.</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=「おいなりさん物語」 ~伏見稲荷大社~ |url=https://inari.jp/about/story/ |website=Fushimi Inari Taisha |language=Japanese}}</ref>

Other immigrants who settled in Japan beginning in the 4th century were the progenitors of Japanese clans. According to '']'' and '']'', the oldest record of a Silla immigrant is ]: a legendary prince of ] who settled in Japan at the era of ], possibly during the 3rd or 4th centuries.

Baekje and Silla sent their princes as hostages to the Yamato court in exchange for military support.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown, Delmer M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A3_6lp8IOK8C&pg=PA141 |title=The Cambridge History of Japan: Ancient Japan |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1993 |isbn=0-521-22352-0 |page=141 |quote=Faced with this comeback by Koguryo, Paekche leaders turned to Yamato for military support, even sending its crown prince to Yamato as a hostage in 397 – just as Silla had dispatched princely hostage to Koguryo in 392 when that kingdom was in dire need of military support. |author-link=Delmer Brown}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Pratt |first=Keith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Gui8CdUfVoC&q=Baekje+prince+hostage+yamato&pg=PA42 |title=Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-86189-335-2 |page=42 |quote=We can only guess, for example, what it felt like for the girls periodically sent as brides to foreign courts, for the crown prince of Paekche when he was dispatched to the Yamato court as a hostage in AD 397, or for a Silla prince who experienced the same fate in 402.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZ0xAQAAIAAJ&q=hostage |title=The New Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2003 |isbn=0-85229-961-3 |page=279 |quote=Paekche was frequently attacked by Koguryo during the century, prompting continued requests for assistance from Yamato; it is recorded that Paekche even sent a crown prince to Yamato as a hostage on one occasion and the mother of the king on another. Yet, probably because of internal dissension, Yamato did not dispatch any troops to the peninsula. Yamato's interest in Korea was apparently a desire for access to improved continental technology and resources, especially iron.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Henthorn |first=William E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_5xAAAAMAAJ&q=Misahun |title=A history of Korea |publisher=Free Press |year=1971 |isbn=9780029144602 |page=37 |quote=In 402, Silla concluded a peace with the Wa. Prince Misahun was then sent to Japan as a hostage. This may have been an act of revenge by the Silla monarch, who, as Prince Silsong, had been sent as hostage to Koguryo by Prince Misahun's father. Despite the peace, Silla–Wa relations were never friendly, due no doubt in part to the Wa–Kaya alliance.}}</ref> King ] was born in ] (]) of Japan as the child of a hostage in 462,<ref>] Vol.14 "Chronicle of ]" 六月丙戌朔 孕婦果如加須利君言 於] (筑紫) 各羅嶋産兒 仍名此兒曰嶋君 於是 軍君即以一船 送嶋君於國 是爲] (武寧王) 百濟人呼此嶋曰主嶋也</ref> and left a son in Japan who was an ancestor of the minor-noble {{Nihongo|Yamato no Fubito|和史|"Scribes of Yamato"}} clan. According to the {{Nihongo|]|続日本紀}}, Yamato no Fubito's relative (]) was a 10th-generation descendant of King Muryeong of Baekje who was chosen as a ] for ] and was the mother of ]. In 2001, Emperor ] confirmed his ancient royal Korean heritage through Emperor Kanmu.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-12-28 |title=The emperor's new roots |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/28/japan.worlddispatch |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

=={{anchor|Kofun Culture}}Culture==
===Language===
{{Main|Japanese language}}
]'' ]]]
]
], ], and ] wrote historical accounts primarily in ], making original pronunciation difficult to trace. Although writing was largely unknown to the indigenous Japanese of the period, the literary skills of foreigners seem to have been increasingly appreciated by the Japanese elite. The ], tentatively dated to 471 or 531, contains a Chinese-character inscription in a style used in China at the time.<ref name="Seeley">Seeley (2000:19-23)</ref>

===''Haniwa''===
The ] wore armour, carried ]s and other weapons, and used advanced military methods similar to those of ]. Evidence of the advances is seen in {{Nihongo|'']''|埴輪|extra="clay ring"}}, clay offerings placed in a ring on and around the tomb mounds of the ruling elite. The most important of these ''haniwa'' were found in southern ] (especially the ] around ]) and northern ]. ''Haniwa'' grave offerings were sculpted as horses, chickens, birds, fans, fish, houses, weapons, shields, sunshades, pillows, and male and female humans. Another funerary piece, the {{Nihongo|'']''|勾玉|extra="curved jewel"}}, became symbolic of imperial power.

==={{anchor|Introduction of material culture to Japan}}Introduction of material culture===
Much of the ] of the Kofun period demonstrates that Japan was in close political and economic contact with continental Asia (especially with the southern dynasties of China) via the Korean Peninsula; bronze mirrors cast from the same mould have been found on both sides of the ]. ], ], and ] were brought to Japan by immigrants, who are mentioned in ancient Japanese histories; the ] introduced sericulture and certain types of weaving.<ref name="Shogakukan">{{Citation
| year = 1988
| title = 国語大辞典 (Kokugo Dai Jiten Dictionary)
| edition = 新装版 (Revised Edition)
| publisher = Shogakukan
| place = Tokyo
| language = ja
| quote = 姓氏。古代の有力帰化系氏族。出自は諸説あるが、おそらく五世紀に渡来した中国人の子孫で、養蚕・機織の技術をもって朝廷に仕え、伴造(とものみやつこ)の一員として秦造(はたのみやつこ)を称したと思われる。<br /> Surname. Influential immigrant clan in ancient times. Various theories about origins, but most likely descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to Japan in the fifth century, who are thought to have brought sericulture and weaving technologies and served in the imperial court, and to have been granted the title ''Hata no Miyatsuko'' as members of the ''Tomo no Miyatsuko'' .
}}</ref>

=={{anchor|Towards Asuka period}}Asuka period==
The introduction of ] in 538 marked the transition from the Kofun to the ], which coincided with the reunification of China under the ] later in the century. Japan became deeply influenced by Chinese culture, adding a cultural context to the religious distinction between the periods.

=={{anchor|Relations between the Yamato court and other East Asian kingdoms}}Relations with other East Asian kingdoms==
===Chinese records===
According to the '']'', ] and ] greatly valued relations with the Kofun-period ] and the Korean kingdoms made diplomatic efforts to maintain their good standing with the Japanese.<ref name="sui">Chinese History Record ], Vol. 81, ''Liezhuan'' 46 : 隋書 東夷伝 第81巻列伝46 : 新羅、百濟皆以倭為大國,多珍物,並敬仰之,恆通使往來 "Silla and Baekje both take Wa to be a great country, with many rare and precious things; also respect and look up to them, and regularly send embassies there." {{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.chinakyl.com/rbbook/big5/25/suishu/suis81.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041221184200/http://www.chinakyl.com/rbbook/big5/25/suishu/suis81.html |archive-date=2004-12-21 |access-date=2006-04-29}}</ref> The '']'' reported that a Chinese emperor appointed the ] in 451 to supervise military affairs of Wa, Silla, ], Gara, ] and Mahan.<ref name="song">Chinese History Record ] : 宋書 列傳第五十七 夷蠻 : 詔除武使持節、都督倭新羅任那加羅秦韓慕韓六國諸軍事、安東大將軍、倭王。興死,弟武立,自稱使持節、都督倭百濟新羅任那加羅秦韓慕韓七國諸軍事、安東大將軍、倭國王 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013072650/http://www.hoolulu.com/zh/25shi/06songshu/t-097.htm|date=2015-10-13}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184326/http://www.xysa.net/a200/h350/06songshu/t-097.htm|date=2016-03-03}}</ref>

===Japanese records===
According to the '']'', Silla was conquered by the ] in the third century.<ref>Sakamoto (1967:336-340)</ref> However, due to lack of evidence,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O6W6uQEACAAJ&q=Historia+Korei|title=Historia Korei|author=Joanna Rurarz|publisher=Wydawnictwo Akademickie Dialog|language=pl|year=2014|page=89|isbn=9788363778866}}</ref> this story is considered to be mythological in nature. It reported that the prince of ] came to Japan to serve the ],<ref>''Nihon Shoki'', Vol.6 "天日槍對曰 僕新羅國主之子也 然聞日本國有聖皇 則以己國授弟知古而化歸(to serve)之"</ref> and lived in ]. Known as Amenohiboko, his descendant is ].<ref>''Nihon Shoki'', Vol.6 "故天日槍娶但馬出嶋人 太耳女麻多烏 生但馬諸助也 諸助生但馬日楢杵 日楢杵生清彦 清彦生田道間守也"</ref> According to ''Kojiki''<ref>百濟國主照古王遣阿知吉師獻雄馬雌馬各壹以貢上此阿知吉師者 阿直史等之祖</ref> and ''Nihon Shoki'',<ref>十五年秋八月 壬戌朔丁卯 百濟王遣阿直岐 貢良馬二匹 即養於輕阪上廄 因以阿直岐令掌飼 故號其養馬之處曰 廄阪</ref> ] presented stallions, ] and ] to the Japanese emperor during ]'s reign.<ref name="KUrano">Kurano (1958:248-249)</ref>

According to ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'', Baekje had also sent a scholar by the name of ] during the reign of ]. He is said to be the pioneer of the introduction of the ] to Japan.

===Korean records===
The '']'' (''Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms'') reported that Baekje and Silla sent their princes as ]s to the Yamato court in exchange for military support to continue their military campaigns; King ] sent his son (]) in 397,<ref name="shiragi">Korean History Record ] : 三國史記 新羅本紀 : 元年 三月 與倭國通好 以奈勿王子未斯欣爲質 </ref> and King ] sent his son ] in 402.<ref name="kudara">Korean History Record ] : 三國史記 百済本紀 : 六年夏五月 王與倭國結好 以太子腆支爲質 秋七月大閱於漢水之南 {{cite web |url=http://www.koreandb.net/Sam/bon/samkuk/04_250_2001365.htm |title=아신왕 - 삼국사기 백제본기- 디지털한국학 |access-date=2008-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512000405/http://www.koreandb.net/Sam/bon/samkuk/04_250_2001365.htm |archive-date=2008-05-12 }}</ref> ], from Japan, helped to found Silla.<ref>Korean History Record ] :三國史記 卷第一 新羅本紀第一 始祖赫居世, 瓠公者 未詳其族姓 本倭人</ref>

== Genetics ==
{{Main article|Genetic and anthropometric studies on Japanese people}}

In 2021, a research paper proposed a new theory as to the origins of the Japanese people. It suggested that the people of Japan bore genetic signatures from three ancient populations rather than just two as previously thought.<ref name="Cooke21">{{cite journal |display-authors=6 |vauthors=Cooke NP, Mattiangeli V, Cassidy LM, Okazaki K, Stokes CA, Onbe S, Hatakeyama S, Machida K, Kasai K, Tomioka N, Matsumoto A, Ito M, Kojima Y, Bradley DG, Gakuhari T, Nakagome S |date=September 2021 |title=Ancient genomics reveals tripartite origins of Japanese populations |journal=Science Advances |volume=7 |issue=38 |pages=eabh2419 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.2419C |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abh2419 |pmc=8448447 |pmid=34533991 |ref={{harvid|Cooke|2021}}}}</ref> The paper called this strand the "Kofun strand" based on the samples found in the period, and separated it from the pre-existing "Jōmon" and "Yayoi strand" forming the "Tripartite ancestry theory".<ref name="Cooke21" />

However recently, the tripartite ancestry theory is being met with criticism since its introduction in 2021. In essence, Japanese researchers claim that a tripartite theory is redundant as the genetical difference between Yayoi and Kofun groups is not significant enough and that the temporal discrepancy of the periods is minuscule. See ].

== Results of the Japan-South Korea Joint Historical Research ==
Under an agreement reached at the 2001 Japan-South Korea summit, Japanese and South Korean historians conducted joint historical research in two phases, including the relationship between Japan and the Korean Peninsula during the Kofun period. The point at issue was the "Mimana Nihon-fu" (任那日本府) which was said to be the governing institution Japan established in Korea at that time. After the controversy, Japanese and South Korean historians agreed that there were Japanese in the south of Korea and that the term "Mimana Nihon-fu" was not used at the time and should not be used as it was misleading. However, they could not agree on the position of the Japanese people in Korea at that time. The Japanese side claimed that the institutions established in Korea by the Japanese people were not under the control of Koreans, but were operated independently by the Japanese people and conducted diplomatic negotiations with the ]. On the other hand, the South Korean side claimed that the agency was the diplomatic office of Gaya, which employed the Japanese as bureaucrats of Gaya. The collaboration ended in 2010 with the publication of a final report describing the above. The full text of the minutes concerning the joint research is disclosed by the Japanese side.<ref> The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation</ref><ref> The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation</ref><ref> The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation</ref><ref> 47news, March 23, 2010</ref><ref> Shikoku News , March 23, 2010</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Helmet MET DT305558.jpg|alt=See caption|Kofun helmet, iron and gilt copper
File:Tanko Armor Kofun period 5th century iron plates sewn with leather strings Tokyo National Museum - DSC06388.jpg|alt=see caption|Kofun Tankō (short armor)
File:Iron Tanko Armor, Kofun period, 5th century, from Tsukando Tumulus, Yoshii-machi, Ukiha-shi, Fukuoka, sewn with leather strings - Tokyo National Museum - DSC06395.JPG|alt=Armor covering the torso|Kofun Keikō (])
File:KofunHelmet.jpg|alt=See caption|Helmet
File:KofunShield.jpg|alt=See caption|Shield
File:KofunCrown.jpg|alt=See caption|Crown
File:Asuka Museum Keikô.jpg|Restored Kofun period ]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Ancient Japan}}
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{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==
{{Commons category|Kofun period}}
* {{cite book
| last = Bogucki
| first = Peter
| title = The Origins of Human Society
| publisher = Blackwell Publishing
| year = 1999
| isbn = 1-57718-112-3
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Farris
| first = William Wayne
| title = Sacred Texts and Buried Treasures: Issues in the Historical Archaeology of Ancient Japan
| publisher = University of Hawai'i Press
| year = 1998
| isbn = 0-8248-1966-7
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Imamura
| first = Keiji
| title = Prehistoric Japan: New Perspectives on Insular East Asia
| publisher = University of Hawaii Press
| year = 1996
| isbn = 0-8248-1852-0
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Kōzō
| first = Yamamura
|author2=John Whitney Hall
| title = The Cambridge history of Japan
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 1997
| isbn = 0-521-22354-7
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Kurano
| first = Kenji
|author2=Yūkichi Takeda
| title = Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 1: ], Norito
| publisher = ]
| year = 1958
| isbn = 4-00-060001-X
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Saeki
| first = Arikiyo
| title = ] no Kenkyū (Honbun hen)
| publisher = Yoshikawa Kōbunkan
| year = 1981
| language = ja
| isbn = 4-642-02109-4
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Sakamoto
| first = Tarō |author2=Ienaga Saburō |author3=Inoue Mitsusada |author4=Ōno Susumu |author4-link=Ōno Susumu | title = Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 67: ]
| volume = 1
| publisher = ]
| year = 1967
| isbn = 4-00-060067-2
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Seeley
| first = Christopher
| title = A history of writing in Japan
| publisher = University of Hawai'i Press
| year = 2000
| isbn = 0-8248-2217-X
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Stearns
| first = Peter N.
|author2=William Leonard Langer
| title = The Encyclopedia of World History
| publisher = Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
| year = 2001
| isbn = 0-395-65237-5
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Yamaguchi
| first = Yoshinori
|author2=Kōnoshi Takamitsu
| title = Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshū 1: ]
| publisher = Shōgakukan
| year = 1997
| isbn = 4-09-658001-5
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Yoshida
| first = Takashi
| title = Nihon no tanjō
| publisher = Iwanami Shoten
| year = 1997
| language = ja
| isbn = 4-00-430510-1}}
* {{Country study}}
*

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
| last = Mizoguchi
| first = Kaoji
| title = The Archaeology of Japan: From the Earliest Rice Farming Villages to the Rise of the State
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 2013}}


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Latest revision as of 20:54, 18 December 2024

Period of Japanese history from 300 to 538
Part of a series on the
History of Japan
Daisen-Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku in Osaka, one of the Mozu kofungun
Periods
Paleolithic35,000–14,000 BC
Jōmon14,000–1000 BC
Yayoi 1000 BC – 300 AD
Kofun 300–538 AD
Asuka 538–710
Nara 710–794
Heian 794–1185
Kamakura 1185–1333
Muromachi 1336–1573
Azuchi–Momoyama 1573–1603
Edo (Tokugawa) 1603–1868
Meiji 1868–1912
Taishō 1912–1926
Shōwa 1926–1989
Heisei 1989–2019
Reiwa 2019–present
Topics

The Kofun period (古墳時代, Kofun jidai) is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is the earliest era of recorded history in Japan, but studies depend heavily on archaeology since the chronology of historical sources tends to be distorted. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mound dating from this era.

It was a period of cultural import. Continuing from the Yayoi period, the Kofun period is characterized by influence from China and the Korean Peninsula; archaeologists consider it a shared culture across the southern Korean Peninsula, Kyūshū and Honshū. On the other hand, the most prosperous keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Japan during this period were approximately 5,000 in Japan from the middle of the 3rd century in the Yayoi period to the 7th century in the Asuka period, and many of them had huge tombs, but in the southern Korean Peninsula there were only 13 from the 5th century to the 6th century, and the tombs were small. Wall decorations and Japanese-style armor, which are characteristic of older Japanese burial mounds, were excavated from 5th century burial mounds in the southern Korean Peninsula. This shows that Japan and the southern Korean Peninsula influenced each other.

According to the Nihon Shoki, Buddhism and the Chinese writing system were introduced near the end of the period from Baekje. The Kofun period recorded Japan's earliest political centralization, when the Yamato clan rose to power in southwestern Japan, established the Imperial House, and helped control trade routes across the region.

Kofun tombs

Animated kofun
Keyhole-shaped kofun drawn in 3DCG (Nakatsuyama Kofun [ja] in Fujiidera, Osaka, 5th century)
Brown jewelry against a light background
Kofun-period jewelry (British Museum)

Kofun (from Middle Chinese 古 "ancient" + bjun 墳 "burial mound") are burial mounds built for members of the ruling class from the 3rd to the 7th centuries in Japan, and the Kofun period takes its name from the distinctive earthen mounds. The mounds contained large stone burial chambers, and some are surrounded by moats.

Kofun have four basic shapes: round and square are the most common, followed by 'scallop-shell' and 'keyhole.' The keyhole tomb is a distinct style found only in Japan, with a square front and round back. Kofun range in size from several meters to over 400 meters long, and unglazed pottery figures (Haniwa) were often buried under a kofun's circumference.

Development

See caption
Iron tankō armour and helmet, with gilt bronze decoration, 5th century CE (Tokyo National Museum)

The oldest Japanese kofun is reportedly Hokenoyama Kofun in Sakurai, Nara, which dates to the late 3rd century. In the Makimuku district of Sakurai, later keyhole kofuns (Hashihaka Kofun, Shibuya Mukaiyama Kofun) were built during the early 4th century. The keyhole kofun spread from Yamato to Kawachi—with giant kofun, such as Daisenryō Kofun—and then throughout the country during the 5th century. Keyhole kofun disappeared later in the 6th century, probably because of the drastic reformation of the Yamato court; Nihon Shoki records the introduction of Buddhism at this time. The last two great kofun are the 190-metre-long (620 ft) Imashirozuka kofun in Osaka (currently believed by scholars to be the tomb of Emperor Keitai) and the 135-metre long (443 ft) Iwatoyama kofun in Fukuoka, recorded in Fudoki of Chikugo as the tomb of Iwai (political archrival of Emperor Keitai). Kofun burial mounds on the island of Tanegashima and two very old Shinto shrines on the island of Yakushima suggest that these islands were the southern boundary of the Yamato state; it extended north to Tainai in the present-day Niigata Prefecture, where excavated mounds have been associated with a person closely linked to the Yamato kingdom.

Yamato court

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Main article: Yamato Kingship

Yamato rule is usually believed to have begun about 250 AD, and it is generally agreed that Yamato rulers had keyhole-kofun culture and hegemony in Yamato until the 4th century. Autonomy of local powers remained throughout the period, particularly in Kibi (the present-day Okayama Prefecture), Izumo (current Shimane Prefecture), Koshi (current Fukui and Niigata Prefecture), Kenu (northern Kantō), Chikushi (northern Kyūshū), and Hi (central Kyūshū). During the 6th century, the Yamato clans began to dominate the southern half of Japan. According to the Book of Song, Yamato relationships with China probably began in the late 4th century.

The Yamato polity, which emerged by the late 5th century, was distinguished by powerful clans (豪族, gōzoku). Each clan was headed by a patriarch (氏上, Uji-no-kami), who performed sacred rituals to the clan's kami (objects of worship) to ensure its long-term welfare. Clan members were the aristocracy, and the royal line which controlled the Yamato court was at its zenith. Clan leaders were awarded kabane, inherited titles denoting rank and political standing which replaced family names.

The Kofun period is called the Yamato period by some Western scholars, since this local chieftainship became the imperial dynasty at the end of the period. However, the Yamato clan ruled just one polity among others during the Kofun era. Japanese archaeologists emphasise that other regional chieftainships (such as Kibi) were in close contention for dominance in the first half of the Kofun period; Kibi's Tsukuriyama Kofun is Japan's fourth-largest.

Three sword hilts
Gilded sword hilts, late Kofun period, 6th century

The Yamato court exercised power over clans in Kyūshū and Honshū, bestowing titles (some hereditary) on clan chieftains. The Yamato name became synonymous with Japan as Yamato rulers suppressed other clans and acquired agricultural land. Based on Chinese models (including the adoption of the Chinese written language), they began to develop a central administration and an imperial court attended by subordinate clan chieftains with no permanent capital. Powerful clans were the Soga, Katsuragi, Heguri and Koze clans in the Yamato and Bizen Provinces and the Kibi clans in the Izumo Province. The Ōtomo and Mononobe clans were military leaders, and the Nakatomi and Inbe clans handled rituals. The Soga clan provided the government's chief minister, the Ōtomo and Mononobe clans provided secondary ministers, and provincial leaders were called kuni no miyatsuko. Craftsmen were organized into guilds.

Territorial expansion

Brown building with an angular roof
Reconstructed Kofun-era warehouse

In addition to archaeological findings indicating a local monarchy in Kibi Province as an important rival, the legend of the 4th-century Prince Yamato Takeru alludes to the borders of the Yamato and battlegrounds in the region; a frontier was near the later Izumo Province (eastern present-day Shimane Prefecture). Another frontier, in Kyūshū, was apparently north of present-day Kumamoto Prefecture. According to the legend, there was an eastern land in Honshū "whose people disobeyed the imperial court" and against whom Yamato Takeru was sent to fight. It is unclear if the rival country was near the Yamato nucleus or further away. Kai Province is mentioned as a location where prince Yamato Takeru traveled on his military expedition.

The period's northern frontier was explained in Kojiki as the legend of Shido Shōgun's (四道将軍, "Shōguns to four ways") expedition. One of four shōguns, Ōbiko set out northward to Koshi and his son Take Nunakawawake left for the eastern states. The father moved east from northern Koshi, and the son moved north; they met at Aizu, in present-day western Fukushima Prefecture. Although the legend is probably not factual, Aizu is near southern Tōhoku (the northern extent of late-4th-century keyhole-kofun culture).

Ōkimi

Open tomb, with a person inside for scale
Ishibutai Kofun, a late kofun in Nara Prefecture

During the Kofun period, an aristocratic society with militaristic rulers developed. The period was a critical stage in Japan's evolution into a cohesive, recognized state. The society was most developed in the Kinai region and the eastern Setouchi region. Japan's rulers petitioned the Chinese court for confirmation of royal titles.

While the rulers' title was officially "King", they called themselves "Ōkimi" (大王, "Great King") during this period. Inscriptions on two swords (the Inariyama and Eta Funayama Swords) read Amenoshita Shiroshimesu (治天下; "ruling Heaven and Earth") and Ōkimi, indicating that the rulers invoked the Mandate of Heaven. The title Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi was used until the 7th century, when it was replaced by Tennō.

Clans

Many of the clans and local chieftains who made up the Yamato polity claimed descent from the imperial family or kami. Archaeological evidence for the clans is found on the Inariyama Sword, on which the bearer recorded the names of his ancestors to claim descent from Ōbiko (大彦, recorded in the Nihon Shoki as a son of Emperor Kōgen). A number of clans claimed origin in China or the Korean Peninsula.

During the 5th century, the Katsuragi clan (葛城氏, descended from the legendary grandson of Emperor Kōgen) was the most prominent power in the court and intermarried with the imperial family. After the clan declined, late in the century, it was replaced by the Ōtomo clan. When Emperor Buretsu died with no apparent heir, Ōtomo no Kanamura recommended Emperor Keitai (a distant imperial relative in Koshi Province) as the new monarch. Kanamura resigned due to the failure of his diplomatic policies, and the court was controlled by the Mononobe and Soga clans at the beginning of the Asuka period.

Society

Toraijin

Main article: Toraijin
See caption
Detail of chariots on a Chinese bronze mirror sent to Japan during the Kofun period. From the Eta-Funayama Tumulus, Kumamoto (Tokyo National Museum)

Toraijin refers to people who immigrated to Japan from abroad via the Ryukyu Islands or the Korean Peninsula. They introduced numerous, significant aspects of Chinese culture to Japan such as Chinese writing system and Buddhism from India. Valuing their knowledge and culture, the Yamato government gave preferential treatment to toraijin. According to the 815 book, Shinsen Shōjiroku, 317 of 1,182 clans in the Kinai region of Honshū were considered to have foreign ancestry. 163 were of Chinese origin (written as "Kan"), 104 from Baekje ("Paekche" in the older romanization), 41 from Goguryeo, 6 from Silla, and 3 from Gaya. They may have immigrated to Japan between 356 and 645.

Influential immigrants

Some of the many immigrants that had significant influence in Kofun period Japan included Wani, Yuzuki no Kimi and Achi no Omi, the founders of Kawachinofumi clan/Kawachinoaya clan, Hata clan and Yamatonoaya clan, respectively. Despite being ethnically similar, many immigrants from Baekje and Silla had arrived in Japan during Emperor Ōjin's reign carrying separate identities and foreign deities such as the kami Inari.

Other immigrants who settled in Japan beginning in the 4th century were the progenitors of Japanese clans. According to Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the oldest record of a Silla immigrant is Amenohiboko: a legendary prince of Silla who settled in Japan at the era of Emperor Suinin, possibly during the 3rd or 4th centuries.

Baekje and Silla sent their princes as hostages to the Yamato court in exchange for military support. King Muryeong of Baekje was born in Kyushu (筑紫) of Japan as the child of a hostage in 462, and left a son in Japan who was an ancestor of the minor-noble Yamato no Fubito (和史, "Scribes of Yamato") clan. According to the Shoku Nihongi (続日本紀), Yamato no Fubito's relative (Takano no Niigasa) was a 10th-generation descendant of King Muryeong of Baekje who was chosen as a concubine for Emperor Kōnin and was the mother of Emperor Kanmu. In 2001, Emperor Akihito confirmed his ancient royal Korean heritage through Emperor Kanmu.

Culture

Language

Main article: Japanese language
Terra-cotta soldier
Haniwa soldier in keiko armor
Terra-cotta horse, with saddle and bridle
Haniwa horse statuette

Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans wrote historical accounts primarily in Chinese characters, making original pronunciation difficult to trace. Although writing was largely unknown to the indigenous Japanese of the period, the literary skills of foreigners seem to have been increasingly appreciated by the Japanese elite. The Inariyama Sword, tentatively dated to 471 or 531, contains a Chinese-character inscription in a style used in China at the time.

Haniwa

The cavalry wore armour, carried swords and other weapons, and used advanced military methods similar to those of Northeast Asia. Evidence of the advances is seen in haniwa (埴輪, "clay ring"), clay offerings placed in a ring on and around the tomb mounds of the ruling elite. The most important of these haniwa were found in southern Honshū (especially the Kinai region around Nara Prefecture) and northern Kyūshū. Haniwa grave offerings were sculpted as horses, chickens, birds, fans, fish, houses, weapons, shields, sunshades, pillows, and male and female humans. Another funerary piece, the magatama (勾玉, "curved jewel"), became symbolic of imperial power.

Introduction of material culture

Much of the material culture of the Kofun period demonstrates that Japan was in close political and economic contact with continental Asia (especially with the southern dynasties of China) via the Korean Peninsula; bronze mirrors cast from the same mould have been found on both sides of the Tsushima Strait. Irrigation, sericulture, and weaving were brought to Japan by immigrants, who are mentioned in ancient Japanese histories; the Hata clan introduced sericulture and certain types of weaving.

Asuka period

The introduction of Buddhism in 538 marked the transition from the Kofun to the Asuka period, which coincided with the reunification of China under the Sui dynasty later in the century. Japan became deeply influenced by Chinese culture, adding a cultural context to the religious distinction between the periods.

Relations with other East Asian kingdoms

Chinese records

According to the Book of Sui, Silla and Baekje greatly valued relations with the Kofun-period Wa and the Korean kingdoms made diplomatic efforts to maintain their good standing with the Japanese. The Book of Song reported that a Chinese emperor appointed the five kings of Wa in 451 to supervise military affairs of Wa, Silla, Imna, Gara, Jinhan and Mahan.

Japanese records

According to the Nihon Shoki, Silla was conquered by the Japanese Empress-consort Jingū in the third century. However, due to lack of evidence, this story is considered to be mythological in nature. It reported that the prince of Silla came to Japan to serve the emperor of Japan, and lived in Tajima Province. Known as Amenohiboko, his descendant is Tajima Mori. According to Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Geunchogo of Baekje presented stallions, broodmares and trainers to the Japanese emperor during Emperor Ōjin's reign.

According to Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Baekje had also sent a scholar by the name of Wani during the reign of Emperor Ōjin. He is said to be the pioneer of the introduction of the Chinese writing system to Japan.

Korean records

The Samguk sagi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms) reported that Baekje and Silla sent their princes as hostages to the Yamato court in exchange for military support to continue their military campaigns; King Asin of Baekje sent his son (Jeonji) in 397, and King Silseong of Silla sent his son Misaheun in 402. Hogong, from Japan, helped to found Silla.

Genetics

Main article: Genetic and anthropometric studies on Japanese people

In 2021, a research paper proposed a new theory as to the origins of the Japanese people. It suggested that the people of Japan bore genetic signatures from three ancient populations rather than just two as previously thought. The paper called this strand the "Kofun strand" based on the samples found in the period, and separated it from the pre-existing "Jōmon" and "Yayoi strand" forming the "Tripartite ancestry theory".

However recently, the tripartite ancestry theory is being met with criticism since its introduction in 2021. In essence, Japanese researchers claim that a tripartite theory is redundant as the genetical difference between Yayoi and Kofun groups is not significant enough and that the temporal discrepancy of the periods is minuscule. See Japanese people's Tripartite ancestry theory.

Results of the Japan-South Korea Joint Historical Research

Under an agreement reached at the 2001 Japan-South Korea summit, Japanese and South Korean historians conducted joint historical research in two phases, including the relationship between Japan and the Korean Peninsula during the Kofun period. The point at issue was the "Mimana Nihon-fu" (任那日本府) which was said to be the governing institution Japan established in Korea at that time. After the controversy, Japanese and South Korean historians agreed that there were Japanese in the south of Korea and that the term "Mimana Nihon-fu" was not used at the time and should not be used as it was misleading. However, they could not agree on the position of the Japanese people in Korea at that time. The Japanese side claimed that the institutions established in Korea by the Japanese people were not under the control of Koreans, but were operated independently by the Japanese people and conducted diplomatic negotiations with the Gaya confederacy. On the other hand, the South Korean side claimed that the agency was the diplomatic office of Gaya, which employed the Japanese as bureaucrats of Gaya. The collaboration ended in 2010 with the publication of a final report describing the above. The full text of the minutes concerning the joint research is disclosed by the Japanese side.

Gallery

  • See caption Kofun helmet, iron and gilt copper
  • see caption Kofun Tankō (short armor)
  • Armor covering the torso Kofun Keikō (cuirass)
  • See caption Helmet
  • See caption Shield
  • See caption Crown
  • Restored Kofun period lamellar armour Restored Kofun period lamellar armour

See also

Notes

  1. Barnes, Gina L. The Archaeology of East Asia: The Rise of Civilization in China, Korea and Japan (Oxford: Oxbow books, 2015), 271-275; 331-360
  2. Kazuo Hirose (March 2009). "A consideration of reconstructing our image of the Kofun period: does the period of keyhole tombs predate the Ritsuryo state?". 国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告 = Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History. 150. Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History. doi:10.15024/00001685. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022.
  3. Kazuo Yanagisawa (2007). "前方後円墳". 東アジア考古学辞典. Tokyodo Shuppan. ISBN 978-4490107128.
  4. Kanta Takata. "An Analysis of the Background of Japanese-style Tombs Builtin the Southwestern Korean Peninsula in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries". Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022.
  5. Park Cheon-Soo (March 2010). 朝鮮半島南部に倭人が造った前方後円墳 : 古代九州との国際交流. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022.
  6. ^ Denoon, Donald et al. (2001). Multicultural Japan: Palaeolithic to Postmodern, p. 107., p. 107, at Google Books
  7. "古". Jisho.org.
  8. "墳". Jisho.org.
  9. Keally, Charles T. (2009-04-29). "Kofun Culture". Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  10. "Yamato kingdom traces found in Niigata Pref". Daily Yomiuri Online. September 17, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  11. Kōzō, Yamamura; John Whitney Hall (1997). The Cambridge history of Japan. Cambridge University Press. p. 311. ISBN 0-521-22354-7.
  12. Saeki (1981)
  13. Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡, 伸行 (2023-07-31). "神々のルーツ 明日香の地と「今木神」 – 全日本民医連". www.min-iren.gr.jp (in Japanese). Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本民主医療機関連合会).
  14. "都市史01 ~秦氏~" [History of the City 01 ~Hata clan~]. Kyoto City (in Japanese).
  15. "「伊奈利社創祀前史」 ~伏見稲荷大社~". inari.jp.
  16. 森浩一, 門脇禎二 (1997). 渡来人 : 尾張・美濃と渡来文化. 春日井シンポジウム (in Japanese). 大巧社. ISBN 4924899232. JPNO 99011294.
  17. 『古代国家と天皇』創元社、1957年
  18. Higo, Kazuo. "Inari Shinkō no Hajime". Inari Shinkō (ed. Hiroji Naoe). Tokyo: Yūzankaku Shuppan, 1983.
  19. "「おいなりさん物語」 ~伏見稲荷大社~". Fushimi Inari Taisha (in Japanese).
  20. Brown, Delmer M. (1993). The Cambridge History of Japan: Ancient Japan. Cambridge University Press. p. 141. ISBN 0-521-22352-0. Faced with this comeback by Koguryo, Paekche leaders turned to Yamato for military support, even sending its crown prince to Yamato as a hostage in 397 – just as Silla had dispatched princely hostage to Koguryo in 392 when that kingdom was in dire need of military support.
  21. Pratt, Keith (2007). Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea. Reaktion Books. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-86189-335-2. We can only guess, for example, what it felt like for the girls periodically sent as brides to foreign courts, for the crown prince of Paekche when he was dispatched to the Yamato court as a hostage in AD 397, or for a Silla prince who experienced the same fate in 402.
  22. The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2003. p. 279. ISBN 0-85229-961-3. Paekche was frequently attacked by Koguryo during the century, prompting continued requests for assistance from Yamato; it is recorded that Paekche even sent a crown prince to Yamato as a hostage on one occasion and the mother of the king on another. Yet, probably because of internal dissension, Yamato did not dispatch any troops to the peninsula. Yamato's interest in Korea was apparently a desire for access to improved continental technology and resources, especially iron.
  23. Henthorn, William E. (1971). A history of Korea. Free Press. p. 37. ISBN 9780029144602. In 402, Silla concluded a peace with the Wa. Prince Misahun was then sent to Japan as a hostage. This may have been an act of revenge by the Silla monarch, who, as Prince Silsong, had been sent as hostage to Koguryo by Prince Misahun's father. Despite the peace, Silla–Wa relations were never friendly, due no doubt in part to the Wa–Kaya alliance.
  24. Nihon Shoki Vol.14 "Chronicle of Emperor Yūryaku" 六月丙戌朔 孕婦果如加須利君言 於Chikuzen Province (筑紫) 各羅嶋産兒 仍名此兒曰嶋君 於是 軍君即以一船 送嶋君於國 是爲King Muryeong of Baekje (武寧王) 百濟人呼此嶋曰主嶋也
  25. "The emperor's new roots". the Guardian. 2001-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  26. Seeley (2000:19-23)
  27. 国語大辞典 (Kokugo Dai Jiten Dictionary) (in Japanese) (新装版 (Revised Edition) ed.), Tokyo: Shogakukan, 1988, 姓氏。古代の有力帰化系氏族。出自は諸説あるが、おそらく五世紀に渡来した中国人の子孫で、養蚕・機織の技術をもって朝廷に仕え、伴造(とものみやつこ)の一員として秦造(はたのみやつこ)を称したと思われる。
    Surname. Influential immigrant clan in ancient times. Various theories about origins, but most likely descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to Japan in the fifth century, who are thought to have brought sericulture and weaving technologies and served in the imperial court, and to have been granted the title Hata no Miyatsuko as members of the Tomo no Miyatsuko .
  28. Chinese History Record Book of Sui, Vol. 81, Liezhuan 46 : 隋書 東夷伝 第81巻列伝46 : 新羅、百濟皆以倭為大國,多珍物,並敬仰之,恆通使往來 "Silla and Baekje both take Wa to be a great country, with many rare and precious things; also respect and look up to them, and regularly send embassies there." "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-12-21. Retrieved 2006-04-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. Chinese History Record Book of Song : 宋書 列傳第五十七 夷蠻 : 詔除武使持節、都督倭新羅任那加羅秦韓慕韓六國諸軍事、安東大將軍、倭王。興死,弟武立,自稱使持節、都督倭百濟新羅任那加羅秦韓慕韓七國諸軍事、安東大將軍、倭國王 Archived 2015-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  30. Sakamoto (1967:336-340)
  31. Joanna Rurarz (2014). Historia Korei (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Akademickie Dialog. p. 89. ISBN 9788363778866.
  32. Nihon Shoki, Vol.6 "天日槍對曰 僕新羅國主之子也 然聞日本國有聖皇 則以己國授弟知古而化歸(to serve)之"
  33. Nihon Shoki, Vol.6 "故天日槍娶但馬出嶋人 太耳女麻多烏 生但馬諸助也 諸助生但馬日楢杵 日楢杵生清彦 清彦生田道間守也"
  34. 百濟國主照古王遣阿知吉師獻雄馬雌馬各壹以貢上此阿知吉師者 阿直史等之祖
  35. 十五年秋八月 壬戌朔丁卯 百濟王遣阿直岐 貢良馬二匹 即養於輕阪上廄 因以阿直岐令掌飼 故號其養馬之處曰 廄阪
  36. Kurano (1958:248-249)
  37. Korean History Record Samguk Sagi : 三國史記 新羅本紀 : 元年 三月 與倭國通好 以奈勿王子未斯欣爲質
  38. Korean History Record Samguk Sagi : 三國史記 百済本紀 : 六年夏五月 王與倭國結好 以太子腆支爲質 秋七月大閱於漢水之南 "아신왕 - 삼국사기 백제본기- 디지털한국학". Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  39. Korean History Record Samguk Sagi :三國史記 卷第一 新羅本紀第一 始祖赫居世, 瓠公者 未詳其族姓 本倭人
  40. ^ Cooke NP, Mattiangeli V, Cassidy LM, Okazaki K, Stokes CA, Onbe S, et al. (September 2021). "Ancient genomics reveals tripartite origins of Japanese populations". Science Advances. 7 (38): eabh2419. Bibcode:2021SciA....7.2419C. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abh2419. PMC 8448447. PMID 34533991.
  41. Japan-Korea Joint Historical Research Committee, Japan-Korea Joint Historical Research Report (first period) The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation
  42. Japan-Korea Joint Historical Research Committee, Japan-Korea Joint Historical Research Report (second period) The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation
  43. Japan-Korea Joint Historical Research Committee, Discussion meeting of the first subcommittee, pp.479-484, August 19, 2009 The Japan Korea Cultural Foundation
  44. Summary of the Japan-Korea Historical Research Report 47news, March 23, 2010
  45. Summary of the Japan-Korea Historical Research Report Shikoku News , March 23, 2010

References

Further reading

  • Mizoguchi, Kaoji (2013). The Archaeology of Japan: From the Earliest Rice Farming Villages to the Rise of the State. Cambridge University Press.

This period is part of the Yamato period of Japanese History.

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