From Yamatai to Yamato (3rd Century)

Unlike many investigations of early states around the world which rely exclusively on archaeological data, the Japanese case is blessed with not one but two historical traditions that give insight into the structures and processes of emerging socio-political complexity. These traditions are the Chinese dynastic histories and the indigenous Japanese court chronicles. However, far from complementing each other, these traditions actually present conflicting views of incipient states in Japan. The former tell of a woman named Himiko succeeding to power as the Queen of Wa, while the latter give a list of primarily male sovereigns ruling over the emergent Yamato Court (Table 1.3). Himiko is not among them.