[Part 5] Kofun Period (2): The Path to State Formation in the Late Kofun Period

The Yamato Kingship was structured with the Great King (Okimi) governing the whole, and various powerful clans (gozoku) in a state of submission to him.
The Kofun period was a major turning point as the Japanese archipelago moved toward a unified state.

1. The Uji-Kabane System

The Uji-Kabane system was the governing mechanism of the Yamato Kingship.
Each powerful clan formed a kinship group called an Uji (clan), bound by blood relations. These clans were broadly divided into those named after a "place name" (such as the Soga clan, based in Soga-mura, Takaichi District) and those named after an "occupation" (such as the Mononobe clan, which handled military and penal duties).
The Great King granted these clans titles indicating their rank, called Kabane.
Central clans derived from place names were given the title "Omi," while central clans derived from occupations were given "Muraji." Powerful local clans were given "Kimi," and other clans were given "Atai."
In this way, the Yamato Kingship established its framework.

2. The Sage Emperor: Emperor Nintoku

The 16th emperor, Emperor Nintoku, was praised as a "Sage Emperor" due to his high virtue.
The Daisenryo Kofun (Emperor Nintoku's Mausoleum/Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture), where he is said to rest, has a total length of 525 meters and boasts the largest area in the world.
This tomb, built by piling up soil by hand, is said to have used enough soil to fill 270,000 10-ton trucks, and one cannot help but feel the impressiveness of building a tomb of this size in a Japan that had no slaves.
It can be said that it conveys to the present day the benevolence and great achievements of Emperor Nintoku, who was truly called a Sage Emperor.

<An anecdote about Emperor Nintoku's concern for his people>
When Emperor Nintoku looked out over the country from a high mountain, he saw no smoke rising from the hearths of any houses. Seeing this, he worried about the suffering of his people and exempted them from taxes for three years.
Three years later, smoke was rising from the houses.
However, Emperor Nintoku did not collect taxes, and instead exempted them for another three years.
This anecdote shows Emperor Nintoku's deep love for his people.
Meanwhile, he himself strove for simplicity and frugality. Because there was no tax revenue, the palace could not be repaired or renovated and fell into complete disrepair.
This time, the people stood up.
In return for his kindness, the people themselves rebuilt the dilapidated palace.

In addition, Emperor Nintoku carried out large-scale public works such as flood control projects throughout the Kawachi Plain, and devoted himself to improving agricultural production.
Emperor Nintoku's reign was taken as a model by later emperors and had a major influence on the formation of the Japanese state.

3. The Appearance of Writing

Entering the 5th century, writing began to be used in Japan as well.
Iron swords and blades excavated from the Inariyama Kofun (Saitama Prefecture) and the Eta Funayama Kofun (Kumamoto Prefecture) were inscribed with the name "Wakatakeru Okimi," which is the 21st emperor, Emperor Yuryaku.
Emperor Yuryaku also appears in the Book of Song, Account of the Wa.
During this period, it is recorded that Japanese emperors sent tribute to the Emperor of Song over five generations.
In the Book of Song, the five emperors are recorded by the names "San," "Chin," "Sai," "Ko," and "Bu," and the fifth, "Bu," was indeed Emperor Yuryaku.

This tribute is considered to have been a diplomatic means to protect the interests of "iron" from countries on the Korean Peninsula, including Goguryeo.
Through this tribute, Emperor Yuryaku had the Song Emperor recognize his military authority over six countries (Wa, Silla, Mimana, Gaya, Jinhan, and Byeonhan).
After the fall of the Song dynasty, Japan began to walk its own path and stopped sending tribute to China until the era of Empress Suiko.
Since the title "Great King of Wa" appears in the inscription on the iron sword excavated from the Inariyama Kofun (Saitama Prefecture), and the title "Great King who rules all under heaven" appears in the inscription on the iron blade excavated from the Eta Funayama Kofun (Kumamoto Prefecture), one can see Emperor Yuryaku's intention to aim for independence from the continental tributary system.

4. Adopting Continental Culture via Baekje

During the period between the cessation of tribute and the resumption of diplomacy through the dispatch of envoys to the Sui dynasty by Prince Shotoku in the era of Empress Suiko, Japan adopted continental culture via Baekje on the Korean Peninsula.
They did not just adopt it, but added their own unique changes.
A unique Japanese writing culture developed, such as creating "Hiragana" and "Katakana" based on "Kanji."
During this period, historical records such as the "Teiki" and "Kyuji" were compiled.
Although these documents are now lost, they became the foundation for the compilation of the "Kojiki" in later years.

5. The End of the Kofun Period

The Kofun period headed toward its end with the introduction of Buddhism in 538.
The Soga clan affirmed Buddhism, while the Mononobe clan rejected it.
The Soga and Mononobe clans clashed, but as emperors of the Soga lineage, who increased their influence through political marriages, continued to reign, Buddhism came to be affirmed by successive emperors.
Also, keyhole-shaped burial mounds (zenpo-koen-fun) had the role of making one's connection with the Imperial Court known to the world by building a tomb in the same shape as the Emperor's, but as the focus shifted toward nation-building for a ritsuryo state and clarifying the authority of the Emperor became important, the thinking changed to giving special status only to the Emperor's tomb, and keyhole-shaped burial mounds disappeared.
The last emperor to be buried in a keyhole-shaped burial mound was the 30th emperor, Emperor Bidatsu.

The Kofun period was an important era in which Japan built its foundation as a state and nurtured its own unique culture while adopting continental culture.

Next is the Asuka period.