The were kings of ancient

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

who sent envoys to China during the 5th century to strengthen the legitimacy of their claims to power by gaining the recognition of the

Chinese emperor ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heaven ...

. Details about them are unknown. According to written records in China, their names were (), (), (), () and ().

Chinese records and the bestowed titles on the kings of Wa

479 and 502 was automatic rank up by the establishment of new dynasty of China. These titles for the military Sovereignly over the countries had no actual powers. The appointments reflected the struggle for hegemony over the region between

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

and Wa, depicted in the

Gwanggaeto Stele The Gwanggaeto Stele is a memorial stele for the tomb of Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo, erected in 414 by his son Jangsu. This monument to Gwanggaeto the Great is the largest engraved stele in the world. It stands near the tomb of Gwanggaeto ...

.吉田晶, ''倭王権の時代'', 新日本出版社, 1998

Comparison with the Nihon Shoki

As the name of kings recorded in Chinese history are very different from the names of Emperors in the '' Nihon Shoki'', the specification of which emperor was the one recorded is the subject of numerous disputes which have endured for centuries. Most contemporary historians assign the five Japanese kings to the following emperors (two possibilities are identified for the Kings San and Chin), mostly based on the individual features of their genealogies reported in the Chinese sources. On the other hand, archeological evidence, such as the inscriptions on the Inariyama and

Eta Funayama Sword Eta Funayama Kofun () is a ''kofun'', or burial mound, located in Nagomi, Kumamoto in Japan. The mound was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1951. The designation includes and . Several artifacts excavated from the mound have b ...

, also supports the idea that Bu is an equivalent of Emperor Yūryaku, who was called ''Wakatakeru Ōkimi'' by his contemporaries. *San 讃:

Emperor Nintoku , also known as was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as the . While his existenc ...

or Emperor Richū *Chin 珍:

Emperor Hanzei was the 18th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 反正天皇 (18) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' p. 38. ...

or Emperor Nintoku *Sai or Sei 濟:

Emperor Ingyō was the 19th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 允恭天皇 (19) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's life or reign, but he is ...

*Kō 興:

Emperor Ankō (401 — 24 September 456) was the 20th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 安康天皇 (20) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. Emperor Ankō is the earliest generally agreed ...

*Bu 武:

Emperor Yūryaku (418 - 8 September 479) was the 21st legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 雄略天皇 (21) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. He is remembered as a patron of sericulture.Nippon ...

Since Bu is most likely to be Yūryaku, Kō, who is said to be Bu's older brother, is likely to be an equivalent of Ankō, who is also noted in the ''Nihonshoki'' as an elder brother to Yūryaku. However, the ''

Book of Song The ''Book of Song'' (''Sòng Shū'') is a historical text of the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties of China. It covers history from 420 to 479, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories, a traditional collection of historical records. I ...

'' records Kō as "''Crown Prince'' Kō"; there is a possibility that he is not Ankō, but rather Prince Kinashi no Karu, who was a crown prince of Ingyō.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Five Kings Of Wa Kofun period Yamatai Five kings of Wa

Chinese records and the bestowed titles on the kings of Wa

Comparison with the Nihon Shoki

See also

References