The Kofun Period in Japan and East Asia
This page aims to accumulate and organize what I have learned about the Kofun Period. See My Reasons for details of my motives for writing this page.
Categories
The Situation in the Korean Peninsula
- Gayama Confederacy
- Baekje
- Silla
- Gogureyo
Outlines
It is needless to say that the Korean Peninsula circumstances have deeply influenced Japan since the end of the New Stone Age. Also in the Kofun Period, power struggles among king-led provinces in the peninsula directly affected the policy of the Yamato sovereign, because the proto central government of Japan relied on the region for iron. I would like to review those king-led provinces briefly here.
Bare essentials in my understanding are as follows.
Gaya Confederacy
Outlines of Gaya Confederacy
- Gaya Confederacy was a group of small states which existed from the 1st century to the mid 6th century in the most southern part of the Korean Peninsula (present South Gyeongsang and the surrounding area).
- They are called by several different names.
- The region was blessed with iron and natural harbors. Wa (ancient Japan) imported iron by boat from there.
- Gaya Countries were gradually annexed to Silla and Baekje and collapsed in 562.
Geumgwan Gaya
- In the 3rd century, Gyeongsang Province included a part of Byeonhan confederacy and a part of Jinhan confederacy. Each federation consisted of 12 king-led provinces. A Byeonhan country developed into Geumgwan country.
- While records on Geumgwan Gaya is extremely limited, Record of Gaya「駕洛国記」 quoted in Samuguk yusa (1281) is highly important.
- The fall of Geumgwan Gaya is generally thought to have been in 532, based on an article in Samguk sagi
- A large number of rectangular iron plates (material for iron products, or iron ingots) have been unearthed at Daeseong-dong Tombs. Iron-manufacturing settlements have also been found. The foundation of development in Gaya confederacy is thought to have been iron production.
Baekje
Outlines of Baekje
- Baekje was established in the northern part of Mahan in the middle of the 4th century.
- Baekje and Wa Japan are generally thought to have entered military alliance in the 2nd half of the 4th C (366 or 367). It was the seven-branched sword that was produced in commemoration of the association. The relationship basically continued until the early 6th C.
- In 475, Goguryeo threatened Baekje to relocate the capital to Unjin.
- In 538, Baekje relocated the capital to Sabi.
- The royal family of Baekje is said to be related to Gokuryeo.
- Baekje had a close relationship with Japan and exerted considerable influence on Japanese ancient culture development, including introduction of Buddhism to Japan.
- In 660, Baekje was overthrown by Tang and Silla.
Seven-Branched Sword
- It is an iron sword owned by Iso-no-kami Shrine in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture. It is 75 cm long. The sword blade has 3 small blades on its both sides.
- In 1890s, a chief priest of the shrine noticed inlaid gold characters dimly glittering on the lateral and deciphered some characters by removing the rust.
- In 369, a prince of Geunchogo of Baekje produced the sword. In this year, Baekje was fighting war against Goguryeo and the prince was at the front of his armed forces.
- In 371, the king and price of Baekje attacked Pyongyang Castle and the king of Goguryeo was killed in the battle.
- Chronicles of Japan says that Baekje presented Wa (ancient Japan) with the Seven-Branched Sword in 372.
- Baekje seems to have intended to ally with Wa in order to provide for a decisive battle against Goguryeo.
Silla
Outlines of Silla
- The first unified dynasty in Korea.
- In the middle of the 4th century (356), Saro founded Silla by consolidating 12 king-led provinces of Jinhan in the south-eastern part of the Korean Peninsula.
- In the 7th century, Silla allied to Tang, and achieved unification of the peninsula after overthrowing Baekje and Gokuryeo.
- Silla emulated Tang and increased political centralization.
- In 935, Wang Jian of Goryeo submitted Gyeongsun of Silla (the final ruler of Silla).
Goguryeo
Outlines of Goguryeo
- One of three kingdoms of ancient Korea.
- Chumo, a leader of one of the Buyeo tribes, founded Buyeo by the first century BCE.
- Goguryoe conquered Lelang Commandery and possessed the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in 313.
- The capital city was relocated to Pyongyang in 427.
- Goguryoe entered a golden age in the days of Gwanggaeto the Great and his two successors (from the end of the 4th century to the 6th century).
- Goguryoe was defeated by allied forces of Tang and Silla defeated in 668.
The Gwanggaeto Stele
- In 414, Jangsu of Goguryeo erected a 6.3-meter-long stone monument and inscribed his father's (Gwanggaeto's) achievement on the surface. It includes the next descriptions.
- In 399, Silla demanded military intervention by reason of intrusion by Wa (ancient Japan).
- In 400, Gwanggaeto dispatched an army of 50,000 soldiers and hotly pursued Wa to Geumgwan Gaya.
- Gwanggaeto took 64 castles and 1,400 villages by assault.
- Most of castles and villages Gwanggaeto captured were those in Baekje.
- After Goguryeo defeated Wa, all Wa could do was to find a new way in diplomatic relations with China.
Relationship between Wa and the Korean Peninsula
Outlines of Relationship between Wa and the Korean Peninsula
Considering the circumstances surrounding Geumgwan Gaya and what were written on Seven-Branched Sword of Isonokami Shrine and he Gwanggaeto Stele of Goguryeo, the following things must have been facts.
- In and after the Kofun Period, Gaya Confederacy was a lifeline to Wa (ancient Japan) because the area produced iron and exported it.
- During Wa was in the Kofun period, strained relationship existed among Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla and the Gaya Confederacy. Tensions between Wa and the Korean Peninsula were also high.
- Baekje presented Seven-Branched Sword to Wa while it was confronting Goguryeo in the 2nd half of the 4th C., because Wa's presence in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula was significant in those days.
- Wa actually exercised its military force around the end of the 4th C and the beginning of the 5th C.
As the two records contain nothing about the state of affairs in Wa, I think it is necessary to use other means to explore the domestic conditions in the Kofun period.
Things introduced into the Japanese Islands from the Korean Peninsula
During the Kofun period, various things seem to have been introduced from the Korean Peninsula. I create a list of them here, based on information I have acquired until now.
- Rice Cultivation
- There are various theories about how wet-paddy rice agriculture reached the Japanese Islands. A widely accepted archaeological theory suggest that rice growing spread went up north from Hanan in China to the Shandong Peninsula and then to the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, and after that it reach the northern part of Kyushu. During the Yayoi Period, it spread to the most northern area of the main island.
- Ironware
- Meteoric iron was already used around 6,000 years ago in the world. Iron refining started in the most western part of Asia around 4,000 years ago. In China, refined iron spread around the 5th B.C.E. Ironware became popular around 300 B.C.E. in the Korean Peninsula and was introduced to the Japanese Islands during the Yayoi Period.
- Sue Pottery
- Sue pottery are ceramics fired at high temperature (higher than 1,000℃). In the middle of the Kofun Period, sue potters from Gaya Confederacy started full-scale sue pottery production in the southern part of present Osaka Prefecture. This new technology was the beginning of the Japanese traditional ceramics.
- Cooking stoves
- Kitchen stoves, each of which was built with clay by a pit dwelling wall, were introduced from the Korean Peninsula in the 1st half of the 5th C. The new kitchen equipment quickly spread over the Japanese Islands.
- Koshiki steamers
- Koshiki or steamers were cookware to steam food including rice grains. In the middle of the Kofun Period, Korean hard koshiki (sue pottery) appeared. They seem to have been used in special occasions.
- Domestic cattle
- While cattle bones were found at sites from the Yayoi Period, the number, however, seems to be small.
- In the middle of the 5th C., people from the Korean peninsula introduced agriculture, engineering including irrigation, and horse riding. Those people are thought to have also brought in cattle at the same time.
- Horses
- It seems to be appropriate to understand that horses were introduced into the Japanese Islands from the Korean Peninsula in the Kofun Period. Around the end of the 4th C., Wa people must have begun to think they need to use horses in battle after they fought against powerful mounted troops of Goguryeo.
- Looms
- While the time is not clear, backstrap looms are thought to have been introduced to Wa around the Kofun Period.
- The Calendar
- The calendar was brought in through the Korean Peninsula from China. It is said that Yamato sovereignty invited a monk from Baekje to learn the calendar and astronomy and established the first calendar in Japan in 604.
- Buddhism
- Around the middle of the 6th century (538 is widely accepted) in the ear of Emperor Kimmei, Seong of Baekje presented a Buddhist image and scriptures.
- Civil engineering
- A method to take water from a relatively wide river by constructing a dam is thought to have been commenced with a new technology of settlers from the continent.
Immigrants with new technology to Wa
Immigrants to Was (ancient Japan) must have brought in the new technologies and things mentioned above. What I have learned about that so far are follows.
- Techniques originated from the Korean Peninsula were frequently utilized to innovate handicraft in the 5th C. in Wa.
- The first wave of immigrants to ancient Japan was between the 2nd half of the 4th C. and the 1st half of the 5th C. The newcomers continuously entered the Japanese Islands after that until the 2nd half of the 7th C. when surviving people or refugees from Silla settled in Wa.
- Some immigrants must have had new development techniques. It is archaeologically unquestionable that new engineering technologies were introduced into Wa in the 5th C.
Relationship between Wa and Chinese dynasties
Five kings of Wa
Chinese official history books say about records on envoys which five kings of Wa (ancient Japan) dispatched to Chinese dynasties during the 5th century.
It is said the rulers aimed to have the Song dynasty acknowledge Wa's right to exercise military control over not only the Japanese Islands but also the southern part of the Korean Peninsula including Baekje and Silla. They were actually appointed as "generals (将軍)."
Years, emperors' names, and the titles which are thought to have been true are as follows.
The kings' names are written in Japanese kanji pronunciation here, though the original characters in the books should be pronounced in Chinese.
| Year | King's name | Bestowed Title |
| 421 | San (讃) | - |
| 425 | San (讃) | - |
| 430 | - | - |
| 438 | Chin (珍) | "General in the East (安東将軍)" |
| 443 | Sei (済), | "General in the East (安東将軍)" |
| 451 | Sei (済) | "Great General in the East (安東大将軍)" |
| 460 | - | - |
| 462 | Ko (興) | - |
| 477 | - | "General in the East (安東将軍)" |
| 478 | Bu (武) | "Great General in the East (安東大将軍)" |
Identification of Five Kings
Emperors' names around the times of Five Kings of Wa and their current identifications are as follows.
| No. | Name | Identification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Chuai | - | Yamatotakeru's son |
| - | Empress Jingu | Chuai's empress, Ojin's mother | Defeated Silla in the Peninsula? |
| 15 | Ojin | San(讃) in some theories | Chuai's son |
| 16 | Nintoku | San(讃) or Chin(珍) in some theories | Ojin's son |
| 17 | Richu | San(讃) in some theories | Nintoku's son | 18 | Hanzei | Chin(珍) in some theories | Nintoku's son |
| 19 | Ingyo | Identified as Sei(済) | Nintoku's son |
| 20 | Anko | Identified as Ko(興) | Ingyo's son |
| 21 | Yuryaku | Identified as Bu(武) | Ingyo's son. Most likely Wakatakeru |
| 22 | Seinei | - | Yuryaku's son |
| 23 | Kenso | - | His father was Richu's son. |
| 24 | Ninken | - | His father was Richu's son |
| 25 | Buretsu | No princes | Ninken's son |
| 26 | Keitai | - | Ojin's great-great-grandson |