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This is a great recommendation. Regarding Yamatai Country, which is said to have been ruled by Himiko, there are still many theories about its location. This time, we interviewed experts using records left in Chinese historical texts as clues.
The theme this time is Yamatai Country, so the first question is why Sanxing City is Yamatai Country, Himiko. That's right. The book "Records of the Three Kingdoms" is counted among the official histories, and it has a total of 65 volumes. In it, in Volume 30 of the "Wei Zhi" section, there is a description of about 2,000 characters about the country. This is referred to as "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" in the "Wei Zhi" part. It's not a separate book called "Wei Zhi Worenchuan," but rather a part of "Records of the Three Kingdoms."
"Wei Zhi Worenchuan" is a part of "Records of the Three Kingdoms," and it is said that the location of Wa Country, including Yamatai Country, which became the origin of the debate, is clearly described in the Kinai region, the central part of Kansai. The era when "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" was written was after the fall of the unified Chinese dynasties, when the country was divided into three kingdoms, Wei, Shu, and Wu, and they fought for unification. In the era of "Records of the Three Kingdoms," Wa Country was in a completely unexpected location.
It is described as being to the east of the sea, in the eastern part of Dongye Prefecture, which was part of Wei at that time. Dongye Prefecture is present-day Shangyu District, Shaoxing City. In other words, the location of Wa Country expressed in "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" is thus in the vicinity of present-day Taiwan. "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" is not just a written description.
I heard that there are also maps. When we check the maps drawn based on the information of that time, although Taiwan cannot be clearly identified, Japan is depicted in the place that corresponds to the sea on the current map. It's also a map where the direction of Honshu is twisted. The map is from a much later period, about 1200 years later, but maps don't change that much. China's perception of Wa Country doesn't shift after this. Because of that, the map is passed down, and I think the 15th-century map, which is a Korean map, has a very interesting way of depicting Japan's location.
The description in "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" and the maps passed down to later generations. Why was it placed in such a nonsensical location due to the coincidence of these two elements? The book "Records of the Three Kingdoms" states that among the three kingdoms, Wei is the legitimate one. Therefore, when trying to look at Wei, it must be in a position behind it and capable of checking its power. That is the official view, the place where it should be.
It is said that Wei depicted Wa Country conveniently to check its rival, Wu. It's a shape that sandwiches it. So, was Wa Country necessary to check Wu? Yes, I think that's exactly right. It is important for countries that can be sandwiched to form an alliance. Furthermore, "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" describes Wa Country as an excessively large country. It says that Wa's territory is in the sea, or it is 5,000 ri. So, if China is 10,000 ri, Wa Country is 5,000 ri, making it a great power in the sea behind Wu. It depicts it as a great power with 5,000 ri, compared to China's 10,000 ri. It sounds like an exaggerated boast.
Watanabe points out that Wei needed to describe Wa Country not just as a country, but as a great power. He says this is related to the famous battle where Wei was defeated by Wu, depicted in "Red Cliff." Do you like "Records of the Three Kingdoms"? Yes. Why did Cao Cao lose? Red Cliff. That's right. The Battle of Red Cliff. In other words, he lost in a naval battle. What did Wu strengthen? They greatly strengthened their naval power. To counter Wu, what is needed? The ability to travel by sea is necessary. Since Wa Country is a great power in the sea, it naturally possesses strong naval power, so it should be able to counter Wu's naval power. Wei was defeated by its rival Wu at the Battle of Red Cliff. To counter Wu's powerful navy, the eastern ally Wa Country needed to be in a position to be easily attacked and to be portrayed as a great power ruled by a seafaring people.
It is thought that the two countries, Wei and Wu, with their history of fierce battles, decided the location and size of Wa Country in a way that deceived Wu. The Yamatai Country of Wei has a remarkably close connection. It can be called special treatment, as Emperor Cao Pi of Wei personally bestowed the title of king upon the queen of Wa, saying, "I bestow upon you the title of king. I cherish you. I now make you king and bestow upon you a golden seal." It is recorded that he sent a golden seal engraved with the title of king.
I also hear the term "Shin'i wa ō" (審議は王), which means "Shin'i is king." It is written as "to be fond of Shin'i." Succeeding the emperor is a king. A king given to a foreign people is one step below a king within the country, but they receive the title of king. In China at that time, the ranks were, from highest to lowest: Emperor, King, Duke, Marquis, Count, and Baron. Himiko was the second highest, the Queen. For example, the people of the Korean Peninsula, who were likely more culturally advanced than Japan, received titles like "King" or nothing at all, but rather lower titles. There are other episodes that show their closeness. When Himiko was suffering from war, Wei sent a lot of personnel and supplies. It is speculated that they falsified the location and size, and earnestly wished for the existence of Wa Country, in order to prevent rivals like Wu from emerging again.
From Daifang Commandery on the Korean Peninsula, through Gyeongsang, to Tsushima in present-day Nagasaki Prefecture, it is 8,000 ri. From Tsushima to the sea is about 1,000 ri, and from Daifang Commandery to Yamatai Country is 12,000 ri. Not only the distance but also the number of days was recorded in "Wei Zhi Worenchuan." Based on this, research has been conducted to find the location of Yamatai Country, but because the geography and distances do not actually match, a debate has been ongoing for over 100 years between the Kyushu theory and the Kinai theory.
As we have seen so far, neither "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" nor the maps that followed can be said to be correct in terms of Japan's geography or even its location. However, Watanabe says that the Kinai theory is likely to be the correct one, which can be understood by looking at just one word. The reason for adopting the Kinai theory is that at the place that leads to Yamatai Country, there is a place called Ito, where Kyushu University campus is located. There is Ito Country. And it is recorded that the kings of Ito Country have ruled for generations, making it an important base. And it is written that Himiko dispatched an official called "Daizō" there.
"Daizō" in the country is like a police presence in the prefectures. "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" describes Daizō as playing a role similar to local police in China. At that time, China had 13 provinces, and 12 provinces were governed by local officials. However, the capital region had a different position. Only the 12 provinces had a "Commander" position in the central region. In other words, Tokyo also has a Superintendent General, right? That's right. So, the capital region has something special placed there. And what is placed in Ito Country? The Chinese saw that the Daizō placed there was like a prefectural governor. In the provinces, there are prefectural governors, and in the capital region, there are commanders. This seems to be the same as in modern Japan, where there are prefectural police and the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo.
In that case, it is not a capital region. Therefore, with just that one word, I can understand from this text that there is no capital region in the vicinity of Ito Country, where about 3 million people live. Therefore, considering other archaeological surveys, I believe that it is impossible for it to be anywhere other than Kinai.
I see. At this stage, I am definitely leaning towards the Kinai theory.
By the way, how is the relationship between the Japanese of that time and Himiko described in "Wei Zhi Worenchuan"? Yamatai Country has an image of being full of mysteries, but I learned for the first time that there are things that can be understood from the perspective of "Records of the Three Kingdoms." And "Wei Zhi Worenchuan" also recorded the lives of the people. When men went fishing, they tattooed their faces and bodies to protect themselves. For meals, they served food in vessels and ate with their hands. It is written that Himiko was a queen who unified Wa Country, which was in constant conflict, and her brother assisted her in politics. That was all for "Good Recommendation."