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 n ...
who sent envoys to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
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 Heave ...
. 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 mos ...
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
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
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 be ...
, 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
, also known as was the 17th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 履中天皇 (17) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession.
No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's life or ...
*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 i ...
*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 u ...
*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 ...
'' records Kō as "''Crown Prince'' Kō"; there is a possibility that he is not Ankō, but rather
Prince Kinashi no Karu
was a Japanese prince. He was a son of Emperor Ingyō.
Prince Kinashi no Karu, Princess Karu no Ōiratsume, Prince Anaho (Emperor Ankō) and Prince Ōhatsuse Wakatake (Emperor Yūryaku) were born as children of Ingyō and Oshisaka no Ōnakatsu ...
, who was a crown prince of Ingyō.
See also
*
Kofun Period
The 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 ...
*
Wakoku
Wakoku is the name used by early imperial China and its neighbouring states to refer to the nation usually identified as Japan. There are various theories regarding the extent of power of the early kings of Japan. According to the Book of Sui and ...
*
Dynasty replacement theory
*
Kawachi dynasty
*
Harima dynasty
*
Echizen dynasty
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Five Kings Of Wa
Kofun period
Yamatai
Five kings of Wa