Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and Mythology

by J. Edward Kidder , Jr.

Overview

The third-century Chinese chronicle Wei zhi (Record of Wei) is responsible for Japan’s most enduring ancient mystery. This early history tells of a group of islands off the China coast that were dominated by a female shaman named Himiko. Himiko ruled for more than half a century as head of the largest chiefdom, traditionally known as Yamatai, until her death in 248. Yet no such person appears in the old Japanese literature. Who was Himiko and where was the Yamatai she governed? In this, the most comprehensive treatment in English to date, a senior scholar of early Japan turns to three sources—historical, archaeological, and mythological—to provide a multifaceted study of Himiko and ancient Japanese society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780824830359
Publisher:	University of Hawaii Press, The
Publication date:	02/28/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	757,376
Product dimensions:	6.13(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

J. Edward Kidder, Jr., is professor emeritus, International Christian University, Tokyo.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Tables     vii
Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xi
Ancient Texts and Sources     1
The Wei Zhi and the Wa People     8
The Initial Problem and Three Centuries of Compounding It     21
Travel by Land and Water to Neighboring Countries     36
Han Commanderies, Korean Kingdoms, and Wei China     53
Japan in Transition from Yayoi to Kofun     59
The Izumo-Yamato Contention     114
Himiko, Shamans, Divination, and Other Magic     127
Mirrors and Himiko's Allotment     160
The Japanese View of the Wei Zhi Years     186
The Endless Search for Yamatai     229
Makimuku and the Location of Yamatai     239
List of Abbreviations     283
Notes     285
Wei Zhi Text     339
Select Glossary     343
Bibliography     359
Index     391

Editorial Reviews

The most comprehensive and persuasive treatment in English to date of the great ancient Japanese mystery that has captured the imagination of the Japanese: the location of Yamatai and the identity of its female shaman leader, Himiko. . . . In what must be the magnum opus and capstone of his illustrious career, Kidder meticulously and thoroughly examines all historical, archaeological, and mythological materials, creating a grand synthesis. . . . Highly recommended.

CHOICE

One of the best books in recent years on the ancient history of Japan because of the author’s wide-ranging knowledge and meticulous research; all recent archaeological discoveries are detailed and relevant theories are examined. As the most up-to-date source of academic information on ancient Japan, this book is essential reading for scholars of Japanology.

Religious Studies Review