Hata clan
Hata 'clan' was an immigrant clan from Korea that was active in Japan since the Kofun period, according to the history of Japan laid out in the Nihon Shoki.
The clan members were later given official titles ranging from "Uzumasa ", "Hata no Sukune ", "Hata no Imiki ", "Hata no Sakeno Kimi ", "Hata no Kimi ", and "Toroshikō " after being recognized as a legitimate clan of Japan after naturalization.
Origins
The origin of the clan has been a debated topic for many Japanese historians and scholars.Many have suggested different kingdoms throughout history starting from Paekche, Qin dynasty, Kaya confederacy, Israel to Silla.
Traditional accounts
Paekche
The first mention of Hata clan was in the Nihon Shoki, describing an immigrant clan arriving in Japan led by Yuzuki no Kimi from Paekche.According to the Nihon Shoki, during the reign of Emperor Ōjin, Yuzuki no Kimi visited Japan from the Kingdom of Paekche where he stated that he had long wanted to emigrate to Japan, but the Kingdom of Silla would not permit him to do so. Having enjoyed the experience of meeting 120 people of his clan at Mimana. Yuzuki no Kimi left Japan but soon returned, in 283, with additional members of his clan "from 120 districts of his own land". Neither Yuzuki no Kimi nor his clan members are mentioned as the founders of the Hata clan in the Nihon Shoki.
Some point to the name of Yuzuki no Kimi being of Korean origin. According to Japanese linguists, "弓月君" could be a direct translation of "Kudara " a unique name for Paekche in Japanese. In Old Korean, "弓月" could be read as "Kungdar " using the Idu system, which is thought to have carried over to the Japanese language as being of Paekche descent as both words share the same pronunciation.
Qin dynasty
Contrary to the accounts made in the Nihon Shoki, the Shinsen Shōjiroku claims that Yuzuki no Kimi, was allegedly a descendant of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. Thus the reason behind Hata being written with the character "Qin ". It was also the first time Yuzuki no Kimi's clan introduced in the Nihon Shoki was written under a specific name.Kaya confederacy
As mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, Yuzuki no Kimi claimed he had 120 people in Mimana, a place name that points to the Kaya confederacy in Korea. Therefore, it has been theorized that the Hata clan had immigrated from Kaya rather than Paekche.Israel
Some 19th and 20th century pseudohistorians claimed that the Hata clan descended from a Jewish tribe that is often associated with the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. While admitting that the clan's immigration route was ultimately from Korea to Japan, proponents of this theory believed that the clan members were in fact descendants of said Jewish tribesmen; claiming that they originated from Israel which travelled to Central Asia, then to mainland China, then to the Korean peninsula where they ultimately immigrated to Japan as their final destination. For further information, see [|Jewish ancestry theory].Silla
Though not directly stated in either the Nihon Shoki or Shinsen Shōjiroku, modern Japanese scholars theorize Silla was the place of origin of the Hata clan.Modern analysis and accounts
After extensive research and historical analysis, Japanese historians have confirmed that the Hata clan originated from Silla and not any of the previously mentioned kingdoms. The city of Kyoto and Fushimi Inari-taisha have publicly stated that "despite the ancient records being unreliable, it can be deduced that the Hata clan originates from the kingdom of Silla."The sentiment is also carried by researchers and historians worldwide with many re-evaluating the claims found in historical documents with modern day evidence.
Historical inaccuracy
The first inaccuracy is shown within the clan's founder, Yuzuki no Kimi's background, a Paekche individual who arrived in Japan during Emperor Ōjin's reign. Contrary to popular belief, prior to the clan's descendants claiming Yuzuki no Kimi as their ancestor as well as claiming he was of Emperor Qin's descent in the Shinsen Shōjiroku, Yuzuki no Kimi is not mentioned anywhere in his original source, the Nihon Shoki, in regards to him being the actual founder of the Hata clan. In actuality, neither he or his supposed clan who immigrated to Japan are mentioned ever again after their stories found in the Nihon Shoki. Like with most claims found in the Shinsen Shōjiroku, it is most likely that the descendants nominated Yuzuki no Kimi as their founder due to him not having any genealogical affiliations with any clans and declared him as their own. Based on archaeological and linguistical evidence, the clan does not incorporate any Paekche or Qin dynasty elements. In fact, according to historian , it was common for Korean descendants to rely on more prominent families for their lineage in order to raise their social status.Another inconsistency rises from the use of the character "Hata " as the character is not written in the Nihon Shoki and is found only in the Shinsen Shōjiroku when first mentioning Emperor Qin of China. Today, the clan believes that their character "秦" derived from Qin Shi Huang's family name of the same character. However, Japanese scholars pointed out that the name "Qin Shi Huang" was not the emperor's actual name, but was in fact "Yíng Zheng " using the ancestral name of the Yíng family. Historically, "Qin Shi Huang " literally meant "First Emperor of Qin" which was used as a title rather than a name. The same is applied to the emperor's alternate name, "Shi Huangdi " which was also a title literally meaning "First Emperor" or "Starting Emperor" alluding to him being the first Emperor in the history of China. Historians believe that the clan misinterpreted "Qin" as the surname of the emperor when in fact, it was originally the name of the state. In addition, the Hata clan had a previous name which was written under "Hata " before adopting "Qin " in the 9th century, further discrediting the "Qin–Hata origin" theory.
There are other examples where the name "Hata" was used before the clan adopted the new character. Takenouchi no Sukune, a legendary Japanese general who had many connections to Silla, had a son named who is also a legendary figure of the Hata clan while it was still under "波多". Historically, he is believed to be the original founder of the clan despite skepticism from modern scholars. Later, the use of "波多" was also carried on by another immigrant clan of Korean descent called Sakanoue clan, the branch clan of Yamatonoaya clan, where formed his own separate clan using the same characters of Hata clan's original name, "波多". See legacy of the Sakanoue clan for more information.
It is thought that the misconception revolving around the origins of Jinhan being built by Qin dynasty refugees, first mentioned in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, was what caused the Silla immigrants to become descendants of the Qin dynasty in the Shinsen Shōjiroku ''. The book is also scrutinized by modern Japanese historians for putting some clans under "Kan " or "Han dynasty" and not the Three Kingdoms of Korea, the same way it put Hata under Qin dynasty instead of Silla. It also contradicts the claims made in the Nihon Shoki that Yuzuki no Kimi was from Qin dynasty and not Paekche without providing any substantial evidence. For further context, the Nihon Shoki lacks any mentions of Qin when discussing about Hata.
Historian posits that centuries after immigrants from Silla had settled in the 5th century, their descendants needed a name for their clan founder in order to be properly included into the Shinsen Shōjiroku, and thus chose Yuzuki no Kimi; someone who was mentioned only once in the Nihon Shoki and had no direct relations with the clan prior to the claim. Afterwards, under the misguided assumption that Silla was of Qin's origin, it was recorded that Yuzuki no Kimi and in turn, the Hata clan were originally from the Qin dynasty and adopted the "Qin " character. In return, it is thought that the descendants of the Hata clan sought for social influence during the compilation of Shinsen Shōjiroku, and thus embraced the misinformed idea and self-proclaimed themselves to be part of Qin Shi Huang's lineage which would have given the clan more legitimacy for its political dominance and reason to remain in power. In actuality, their relations to Yuzuki no Kimi is questionable, as well as Yuzuki's own relations with Qin Shi Huang. It is highly likely that all three candidates are not related as the statements found in the Shinsen Shōjiroku'' are based on self-proclaimed claims rather than historical and genealogical facts.
Historians such as and state that the Hata clan's founding story was created by the descendants to compete with the rival Yamatonoaya clan; a powerful Aya clan that claimed descent from Achi no Omi of Paekche, the rival kingdom of the Hata clan's kingdom, Silla. According to historian , it is recorded that a notable member of the Hata clan, Hata no Kawakatsu, was a practitioner of the Silla-style Buddhism, a strike contrast to the Paekche-style Buddhism practiced by the Aya clans and the Soga clan. However, this sentiment is believed to have eroded away over the coming centuries where both of the clans' descendants shared the title of "Imiki " and incorporated each other's ancestor names such as the aforementioned "Hata clan" of the Sakanoue clan.
Further research points to a specific area in Silla known as "Padan " read as "Hatan " in Japanese, located in Uljin County as the origin of the Hata clan. According to a research published by Ritsumeikan University, the clan was indeed from Padan and their descendants settled in the Sagano area. Though the area does not exist today, it is mentioned in the, a stele that was erected during the Silla period. Padan is considered the most likely candidate of Hata clan's origin due to its similar pronunciation in Japanese while also sharing a character "波 " within their respective names. In addition, the word "Padan, 波旦" meant "ocean" in the Goguryeo language, a language that is considered Koreanic, which further supports the "Hata–Hatan–Ocean–Silla origin" theory.
Realistically, the Hata clan is thought to have arrived in Japan from Silla in the second half of the 5th century, contrary to the statements found in historical texts that claim 1st–2nd century.