Yamatai Kyushu Theory
The Yamatai Kyushu Theory is the theory that the Yamatai kingdom was located in Kyushu rather than in Honshu as the Yamatai Honshu Theory proposes.
The theory proposes that the original capital of Japan was located in Kyushu, and when the Kofun period began, the Yamato Kingship moved the capital east to the Kinai region, first in the Yamato Province, then Kyoto in the Yamashiro Province.
Overview
In the Edo period, Arai Hakuseki adovocated the "Kinai Yamataikoku theory" which says Yamatai-koku was located in 大和 in the Kinai, Honshu. Later, Arai adovocated the different theory, "Kyūshū Yamataikoku theory" which says Yamatai-koku was located in "Yamato county " in Chikugo Province in his "Foreign Affairs Record".Since then, the mainstream of academic circles has been divided into the two major theories:
- the "Honshu theory" which insists Yamatai-koku was located in the Honshu.
- the "Kyushu theory" which insists Yamatai-koku was located in the Kyushu.
Basic rationale
The basic arguments for the Kyushu theory of the Yamatai Kingdom include the following.Basis
- Considering the distance from Taihō-gun to the Queen's country as an itinerary rather than a straight line, out of the 12,000 li, it took 10,500 li to get to Ito-koku, which is located in Fukuoka Prefecture, and the remaining 1,500 li, is not enough to locate the Yamatai Kingdom beyond Kyushu.
- Identifying Kuna-koku, which was in conflict with the Yamatai-koku, to the power of Kumamoto, the official of Kuna-koku, "Kukochi-hiko" is a transliteration of "Kikuchi-hiko.
- There is a theory that the Hashihaka grave mound, which is said to be the oldest stylized forward and backward circular mound in Nara Prefecture Sakurai City, was built in the latter half of the 3rd century and is considered to be Himiko's burial mound. However, after the death of Himiko, a male king ascended to the throne, but it is recorded that the country was in turmoil again, and it is almost impossible to build a burial mound with the largest mound at that time when the country was in turmoil. In addition, there are no traces of martyrdom in the area surrounding the tomb. Also, the tombs of neighboring places such as the Korean Peninsula at that time were all around 30 meters on each side, and it is unreasonable to assume that Japan was the only country to build a huge tomb. In addition, the Museum, Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, which conducted the Archaeological excavation of the Hokenoyama burial mound, which is said to predate the Chopsticks Tomb in terms of age. Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, who conducted Excavation of the Hokenoyama burial mound in 2008, concluded that the burial mound was built in the middle of the 3rd century based on the excavated artifacts. Because the range of Radiocarbon dating results of burial chamber wood is reported to include the first half of the 4th century, some have questioned the dating of the middle of the 3rd century.