The Five Kings of Wa and Diplomacy in East Asia

In the 5th century, the Yamato government sent envoys to Song China and tried to raise its status within the international order of East Asia. This was the diplomacy of the “Five Kings of Wa.”

Basic Knowledge

The Five Kings of Wa refers to the five kings of Wa in the 5th century recorded in the Wa section of the Chinese historical text Book of Song. They sent envoys to Song of the Southern Dynasties in China and received titles.
The five kings of Wa: San・Chin・Sai・Kō・Bu
Main missions and titles:
・421: San sent an envoy to Song (the first mission)
・438: Chin received the title “General Who Maintains Peace in the East, King of Wa”
・443: Sai received the same title
・462: Kō received the same title
・478: Bu (considered Emperor Yūryaku) received the title “General-in-Chief Who Holds the Staff of Authority, Military Governor of the Six States of Wa, Silla, Mimana, Kara, Chinhan, and Muhan, General Who Maintains Great Peace in the East, King of Wa”
These kings of Wa are considered to correspond to the emperors in the Chronicles of Japan, especially Bu = Emperor Yūryaku (Great King Wakatakeru).

Further Study (Background・Impact)

What were the purposes of the Five Kings of Wa in sending envoys to China? There were two main reasons.
① Securing superiority on the Korean Peninsula: At that time, Wa had influence in the southern Korean Peninsula (Mimana and Kara) and sought an advantageous position in its relations with Silla and Baekje
② Demonstrating authority to powerful clans at home: By receiving titles from the Chinese emperor, the Great King could demonstrate his authority to powerful clans within Japan
The title received by Bu (Emperor Yūryaku), “General-in-Chief Who Holds the Staff of Authority, Military Governor of the Six States of Wa, Silla, Mimana, Kara, Chinhan, and Muhan, General Who Maintains Great Peace in the East, King of Wa,” is long, but it means that the “Chinese emperor recognized Wa’s military control over the southern Korean Peninsula.” However, because Silla and Baekje also paid tribute to China, it was merely a formal title.
The iron sword excavated from the Inariyama Tumulus (Saitama Prefecture) bears the name “Great King Wakatakeru,” which is considered to correspond to Emperor Yūryaku. The same name, “Great King Wakatakeru,” also appears on an iron sword from the Eta Funayama Tumulus in Kumamoto Prefecture. This shows that the Yamato government’s rule extended from Saitama in the east to Kumamoto in the west. This is extremely important physical evidence in the history of ancient Japan.

Points to Note (Easy to Confuse)

① Five Kings of Wa: Remember the order San・Chin・Sai・Kō・Bu. The mnemonic is “san-chin-sei-kō-bu.” ② Bu is conventionally identified with Emperor Yūryaku (Wakatakeru). The other identifications are subject to various theories. ③ Do not confuse Song of China (the Southern Dynasty in the 5th century) with the later Song (10th–13th centuries). ④ The inscription on the Inariyama iron sword is considered to refer to the “Year of the Metal Boar” = 471. ⑤ “Mimana” and “Kara” in the southern Korean Peninsula were regions where Wa had influence, but they were not “colonies.” Their actual relationship was one of alliance. ⑥ The “Gwanggaeto Stele” still exists in Jilin Province, China, and honors Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo. It records that he fought Wa’s army in 391.

Practice

1. Which of the Five Kings of Wa is identified with Emperor Yūryaku?
2. What were the names of the iron objects excavated from tumuli in Saitama Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture that bear the name of Great King Wakatakeru?
3. Give two purposes for the Five Kings of Wa sending envoys to Song China.