The Establishment and Development of the Yamato Government

The Yamato government, established mainly in the Kinki region during the Kofun Period, gradually subjugated powerful clans in various regions and unified the Japanese Archipelago. Let us examine the structure and development of this government.

Basic Knowledge

The Yamato government (Yamato kingship) was a confederated government established around the latter half of the 3rd century to the 4th century, centered in the Nara Basin, or Yamato region. Its central ruler was called the Great King, the prototype of later emperors.
The center of the Yamato government is considered to have been the Makimuku Site in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture. The Hashihaka Tumulus, one of the oldest keyhole-shaped tombs, is also located there.
The governing system of the Yamato government:
・Uji-Kabane system: Organized powerful clans into “uji” (kinship groups) and gave them “kabane” (statuses) to establish order
・Examples of kabane: Omi, Muraji, Tomonomiyatsuko, Kuni no Miyatsuko, and Agatanushi
・Appointed powerful local families as Kuni no Miyatsuko to govern local areas
・Spread the keyhole-shaped tomb throughout the country as a symbol of alliances

Further Study (Background and Impact)

The Yamato government was not a powerful centralized state from the beginning. It started as a coalition of powerful local families, and the Great King's authority gradually increased.
In the 5th century, the Five Kings of Wa—San, Chin, Sai, Ko, and Bu—appeared in the Wa section of the Chinese historical work Book of Song. They sent envoys to Song China and received titles such as Great General Who Pacifies the East, King of Wa. Bu is thought to have been Emperor Yuryaku, or the Great King Wakatakeru. Because the name “Great King Wakatakeru” is inscribed on the iron sword excavated from the Inariyama Tumulus in Saitama Prefecture and on the iron sword excavated from the Eta Funayama Tumulus in Kumamoto Prefecture, we know that by the latter half of the 5th century Yamato rule extended from eastern Japan to Kyushu.
The Uji-Kabane system, the governing structure of the Yamato government, was a social order combining kinship and office and became a predecessor of the later ritsuryo system. Powerful families inherited specific duties, such as rituals, military affairs, and administration, and in return gained the right to rule land and people.
The Yamato government also organized occupational groups called be, making smithing, pottery, fishing, hunting, farming, and other specialized occupations hereditary. This enabled the government to secure various supplies consistently.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① “Yamato government,” “Yamato kingship,” and “Yamato regime” refer to the same thing. Textbooks use different terms. ② The Great King and the emperor were technically different. The title “emperor” is generally considered to have begun in the latter half of the 7th century, during the reign of Emperor Tenmu. ③ Do not confuse uji and kabane. Uji = kinship group; kabane = status. ④ The correspondence between the Five Kings of Wa and the emperors in the Nihon Shoki is debated; “Bu = Emperor Yuryaku” is the leading theory. ⑤ The Inariyama Tumulus is in Saitama Prefecture, and the Eta Funayama Tumulus is in Kumamoto Prefecture. Remember the prefectures.

Practice

1. State the title of the supreme ruler of the Yamato government.
2. Explain the difference between uji and kabane in the Uji-Kabane system.
3. State the name of the Great King inscribed on the iron sword from the Inariyama Tumulus in Saitama Prefecture.