Yamatonoaya clan

Yamatonoaya
東ひがし漢かん
Yamatonoaya; 東ひがし漢かん
	Omiashi-jinja of the Yamatonoaya clan
Home province	Baekje or Gaya
Titles	Various
Founder	Achi no omi
Cadet branches	Sakanoue clan; Fumi clan; Min clan; Ikebe clan; Aratai clan;

Yamatonoaya clan (東ひがし漢かん氏し) was an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period according to the Nihon Shoki (720), Kojiki (711) and Shoku Nihongi (797).

Origins

According to ancient Japanese records, Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, Yamatonoaya clan was one of the many clans that arrived from the Korean kingdoms during the reign of Emperor Ōjin.^[1]^[2]

It is said that the clan started off small but gradually grew as other clans integrated themselves to the clan, later becoming one of the most influential clans in Japan.^[1]

According to Teiji Kadowaki (門脇かどわき禎二ていじ) [ja] at Kyoto University, the name "Yamatonoaya" was widely used by Korean immigrants to apply dominance in their newly found home.^[1] Similarly with the Hata clan from Silla being wrongfully credited as a kingdom from the Qin dynasty, Yamatonoaya clan is thought to have been misinterpreted as a clan from the Han dynasty and was wrongfully credited as such when in fact, they were originally from Baekje.^[3]

It is also said that "Hinokuma no Sato (檜前ひのくま郡ぐん鄕)", present day "Hinokuma (檜前ひのくま) [ja]" of Nara prefecture was a place Yamatonoaya clan had jurisdiction over as well as being a well-known "Baekje town" also known as "Kudara no Sato (百済くだらの里さと)" in Japanese.^[4]

Etymology

Modern Japanese historians theorized that Yamatonoaya clan and its founder Achi no omi, originated from the Gaya confederacy, specifically from the kingdom of "Aya (安やす邪よこしま国こく)" (old name for Ara Gaya) where the placename became the etymology of the Aya clans.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] According to the theory, the immigrants brought many Baekje technologies from Aya^[8]^[9] and were considered as close kin to the people of Baekje.^[5]^[10] Some nationalist historians used this to support the claims over the Mimana controversy stating that Mimana (Gaya) was in fact Japanese due to the relations between the kingdom of Aya and the Aya clans of Japan.^[7]^[11] Despite the lukewarm reception in Korea, evidence alludes to the possibilities of Japanese speakers in the region.^[12]^[13]

Relations with the Aya clan and other immigrant clans

Japanese scholars have indicated that Yamatonoaya clan and other "Aya (漢かん)" clans were all related and that they were generally classified under the same ethnic group.^[3] These mainly included: the "Aya clan (漢かん氏し)", the "Yamatonoaya clan (東ひがし漢かん氏し/倭やまと漢かん氏し)" and the "Kawachinoaya clan (西にし漢かん氏し/河内かわうち漢かん氏し)". It is said that Yamatonoaya clan, Aya and Kawachinoaya, though not from the same founder, were ethnically related,^[3] most likely all immigrating from Baekje.

"Kawachinoaya (西にし漢かん氏し)" in particular, is thought to be related with the Yamatonoaya clan. The clan was one of the clans first founded by the scholar Wani (alongside clans such as "Kawachinofumi clan (西にし文あや氏し)") who arrived in Japan from the kingdom of Baekje who helped spread the use of the Chinese Writing system in Japan. According to Japanese scholars, Wani and Achi no omi founded Kawachinoaya and Yamatonoaya clan respectively, both being of Baekje origin and influential ethnic Koreans in Japan at the time. They shared the same character "Aya" but separated one another with the use of cardinal directions ("Kawachi/西にし" meaning West and "Yamato/東ひがし" meaning East) as Wani's Kawachinoaya clan resided in "Furuichikoori (河内かわち国こく古市ふるいち郡ぐん)", (present day Furuichigun (古市ふるいち郡ぐん) [ja] in Osaka) located in the west of Japan, while Achi no omi and his Yamatonoaya clan resided in the Yamato Kingdom found in the east.

Yamatonoaya clan also had a related clan called the "Sakanoue clan (坂上さかがみ氏し)" (the clan that Sakanoue no Karitamaro hails from) which was once part of the bigger and more influential Yamatonoaya clan, but later broke off to form a clan of their own.

After the formation of the clans, the next immigrants were mainly called "Imaki no Ayahito (今来こんらい漢かん人じん/新しん漢かん人じん)" lit. 'Korean people who have just arrived'.

Achievements

It is written both in Nihon Shoki and Kojiki that the clan specialized in architecture and carpentry.^[14]^[15]

There were also heavily militarized, often guarding and protecting high-ranking members of the Soga clan^[16] who also had deep connections with the Korean peninsula, specifically the kingdom of Baekje.^[17]

Legacy

On top of being one of the most influential immigrant clans in Japan, clans related to Yamatonoaya became much more prominent after its fall.

The clan was divided into clans with distinct surnames, such as the aforementioned Sakanoue clan, the "Fumi clan (書しょ氏し)", the "Min clan (民みん氏し)", the "Ikebe clan (池辺いけべ氏し)" and the "Aratai clan (荒田あらた井い氏し)".

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 森もり浩一こういち, 門脇かどわき禎二ていじ (1997). 渡来とらい人じん : 尾張おわり・美濃みのと渡来とらい文化ぶんか. 春日井かすがいシンポジウム (in Japanese). 大だい巧たくみ社しゃ. ISBN 4924899232. JPNO 99011294.
^ 『古代こだい国家こっかと天皇てんのう』創そう元もと社しゃ、1957年ねん
^ ^a ^b ^c Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡かたおか, 伸行のぶゆき (2023-07-31). "神しん々のルーツ　明日香あすかの地ちと「今木いまき神しん」 – 全日本ぜんにほん民医連みんいれん". www.min-iren.gr.jp (in Japanese). Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本ぜんにほん民主みんしゅ医療いりょう機関きかん連合れんごう会かい).
^ 高橋たかはし 1986, pp. 3–4.
^ ^a ^b Suzuki, Takeju (1975). 偽いつわられた大王だいおうの系譜けいふ [Falsehoods of the great ruler] (in Japanese). the University of Michigan. p. 94.
^ Ishiwatari, Shin'ichirō (1988). 日本にっぽん古代こだい王朝おうちょうの成立せいりつと百済くだら [The formation of ancient Japanese clans and Kudara] (in Japanese). アジア史し研究けんきゅう会かい. p. 162.
^ ^a ^b Suwa, Haruo (1993). 倭やまと族ぞくと古代こだい日本にっぽん [Yamato people and ancient Japan] (in Japanese). p. 144. ISBN 9784639011910.
^ ^a ^b Takemitsu, Makoto (2013). 真しん説せつ日本にっぽん古代こだい史し [Truth behind ancient Japan] (in Japanese). PHP研究所けんきゅうじょ. p. 123. ISBN 9784569810751.
^
安やす羅ら国こくから移住いじゅうしてきた東ひがし漢かん氏しは百済くだらの技術ぎじゅつをもっていた。
Yamatonoaya clan, being immigrants from the kingdom of Aya, brought with them the technologies of Baekje.
— Makoto Takemitsu
^
東ひがし漢かん氏しは百済くだら=安あん羅ら系けいの、朝鮮半島ちょうせんはんとうからの来住きし者しゃたちなのである。
The Yamatonoaya clan was "Baekje and/or Aya" descent who had immigrated from the Korean Peninsula.
— Takeju Suzuki
^
「安あん羅ら日本にっぽん府ふ」と改称かいしょうし、さらに『書しょ紀き』が「任にん那な日本にっぽん府ふ」と改あらためたのであります。
The name "Mimana of Japan" was in fact "Aya of Japan" before it was rewritten in the Nihon Shoki.
— Haruo Suwa
^ Janhunen, Juha (2010). "RECONSTRUCTING THE LANGUAGE MAP OF PREHISTORICAL NORTHEAST ASIA". Studia Orientalia 108 (2010). ... there are strong indications that the neighbouring Baekje state (in the southwest) was predominantly Japonic-speaking until it was linguistically Koreanized.
^ Vovin, Alexander (2013). "From Koguryo to Tamna: Slowly riding to the South with speakers of Proto-Korean". Korean Linguistics. 15 (2): 222–240.
^ "Nihon Shoki", Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 935–936, 2021, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58292-0_140217, ISBN 978-3-030-58291-3
^ Yasumaro Ō (2014). The Kojiki : an account of ancient matters. Translated by Gustav Heldt. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-53812-1. OCLC 899002167.
^ 上田うえだ 1965, pp. 76–77.
^ History of Nara

[森.門脇1977-1] 森もり浩一こういち, 門脇かどわき禎二ていじ (1997). 渡来とらい人じん : 尾張おわり・美濃みのと渡来とらい文化ぶんか. 春日井かすがいシンポジウム (in Japanese). 大だい巧たくみ社しゃ. ISBN 4924899232. JPNO 99011294.

[:0-2] 『古代こだい国家こっかと天皇てんのう』創そう元もと社しゃ、1957年ねん

[:1-3] Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡かたおか, 伸行のぶゆき (2023-07-31). "神しん々のルーツ　明日香あすかの地ちと「今木いまき神しん」 – 全日本ぜんにほん民医連みんいれん". www.min-iren.gr.jp (in Japanese). Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本ぜんにほん民主みんしゅ医療いりょう機関きかん連合れんごう会かい).

[FOOTNOTE高橋19863–4-4] 高橋たかはし 1986, pp. 3–4.

[:2-5] Suzuki, Takeju (1975). 偽いつわられた大王だいおうの系譜けいふ [Falsehoods of the great ruler] (in Japanese). the University of Michigan. p. 94.

[6] Ishiwatari, Shin'ichirō (1988). 日本にっぽん古代こだい王朝おうちょうの成立せいりつと百済くだら [The formation of ancient Japanese clans and Kudara] (in Japanese). アジア史し研究けんきゅう会かい. p. 162.

[:3-7] Suwa, Haruo (1993). 倭やまと族ぞくと古代こだい日本にっぽん [Yamato people and ancient Japan] (in Japanese). p. 144. ISBN 9784639011910.

[:4-8] Takemitsu, Makoto (2013). 真しん説せつ日本にっぽん古代こだい史し [Truth behind ancient Japan] (in Japanese). PHP研究所けんきゅうじょ. p. 123. ISBN 9784569810751.

[9] 
安やす羅ら国こくから移住いじゅうしてきた東ひがし漢かん氏しは百済くだらの技術ぎじゅつをもっていた。
Yamatonoaya clan, being immigrants from the kingdom of Aya, brought with them the technologies of Baekje.
— Makoto Takemitsu

[10] 
東ひがし漢かん氏しは百済くだら=安あん羅ら系けいの、朝鮮半島ちょうせんはんとうからの来住きし者しゃたちなのである。
The Yamatonoaya clan was "Baekje and/or Aya" descent who had immigrated from the Korean Peninsula.
— Takeju Suzuki

[11] 
「安あん羅ら日本にっぽん府ふ」と改称かいしょうし、さらに『書しょ紀き』が「任にん那な日本にっぽん府ふ」と改あらためたのであります。
The name "Mimana of Japan" was in fact "Aya of Japan" before it was rewritten in the Nihon Shoki.
— Haruo Suwa

[12] Janhunen, Juha (2010). "RECONSTRUCTING THE LANGUAGE MAP OF PREHISTORICAL NORTHEAST ASIA". Studia Orientalia 108 (2010). ... there are strong indications that the neighbouring Baekje state (in the southwest) was predominantly Japonic-speaking until it was linguistically Koreanized.

[13] Vovin, Alexander (2013). "From Koguryo to Tamna: Slowly riding to the South with speakers of Proto-Korean". Korean Linguistics. 15 (2): 222–240.

[14] "Nihon Shoki", Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 935–936, 2021, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58292-0_140217, ISBN 978-3-030-58291-3

[15] Yasumaro Ō (2014). The Kojiki : an account of ancient matters. Translated by Gustav Heldt. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-53812-1. OCLC 899002167.

[FOOTNOTE上田196576–77-16] 上田うえだ 1965, pp. 76–77.

[17] History of Nara

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