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Warfare, Politics, and Society
Warfare in Japanese history has been inextricably related to changing politics
and society. Knowledge of warfare in Japan prior to the appearance of
written records (eighth century A.D.) is limited to archaeological evidence
and evidence from Chinese records. While archaeology indicates the existence
of warfare and the types of armor and weapons used by the early
Japanese warriors, it provides limited information on the social structure
and on the conflicts that brought about military confrontations. For this
kind of information we must look at records written by Chinese who visited
the Japanese islands.
The Weizhi (History of the Kingdom of Wei, A.D. 297) mentions more
than one hundred peaceful communities on the Japanese islands. At that
time the country had a male ruler, but for seventy or eighty years there were
widespread disturbances. Then the people selected a female ruler, known as
queen Himiko (or Pimiko), who was a shaman. After her death, a male ruler
was selected, but disturbances and assassinations ensued. Once again, a female
ruler was selected. From this record it seems that warfare was localized
and that local chieftains who controlled territories were engaged in warfare,
but that there was one strong family whose chieftains were becoming more
dominant than others were. Some hundred and fifty years later, the Hou
Hanshu (The History of the Latter Han, 445) confirms the rise of such a
dominant chieftain. It states that each community had a ruler, but there was
a supreme ruler, called the “King of the Great Wa,” who resided in Yamatai.
The records mention Himiko again, stating that there was great instability
and constant warfare before she was appointed as queen. Queen Himiko,
then, is mentioned as the ruler who was able to extend her authority over
other local rulers, thus reducing the frequency of warfare.
According to the Songshu (The History of the Liu Song Dynasty, 513),
Emperor Yûryaku requested the Chinese court to recognize him by the title
“Generalissimo Who Maintains Peace in the East Commanding with
Battle-Ax All Military Affairs in the Six Countries of Wa, Paekche, Silla,
Imna, Chin-han and Mok-han.” In his letter of request Yûryaku writes:
“From of old our forebears have clad themselves in armor and helmet and
gone across the hills and waters, sparing no time for rest. In the east, they
conquered fifty-five countries of hairy men; and in the west, they brought
to their knees sixty-six countries of various barbarians. Crossing the sea to
the north, they subjugated ninety-five countries” (Tsunoda, de Bary, and
Keene 1958, 8). Similarly, in the Xin Tangshu (New History of the Tang
Dynasty, ca. eleventh century, compiled from earlier records of the Tang
dynasty, 618–906) there is a clue to the existence of some sort of fortifications
constructed by erecting high walls made of timber (all translations of
Chinese records are taken from Tsunoda, de Bary, and Keene 1958).
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