The Kofun Period (c.250–538 CE): An Introduction to Japanese History
The Kofun Period began in Japan after the major changes in society that took place after the Yayoi period. From what once was the collection of peaceful Jomon hunter-gatherers, Japanese society became embroiled in internecine warfare as a result of the new agricultural practices as well as the introduction of metalworking (and hence weaponry) to Japan.
Rice farming led to massive population growth. The state also came into fruition, which brought with it improvements in technology and living standards. Iron eventually replaced bronze as the main metal to work with in this time period. This commenced the Iron Age, because tin was hard to obtain.
The epoch derives its name from the word kofun, referring to a special type of burial mound excavated in Japan. Kofuns could range in length from a few meters to 400 meters, and were built inside hills and on flat land. The common shapes of these were square, round, octagonal and keyhole-like. They were erected for the elite, with architectural masterpieces such as Daisenryo Kofun and Tsukuriyama Kofun. Gifts and burial goods such as weapons, trinkets and haniwa (warrior) pottery figurines were placed with the deceased. Some kofuns were even surrounded by moats. Similar structures have been discovered on the Korean peninsula, which points to the possibility of a shared material culture.
These advanced buildings signified the development of a stratified, more advanced and highly aristocratic society in Japan. Indeed, it was during the Kofun period that the first Japanese state was founded, the Yamato state, with its own central administration and imperial court (Fun fact: The world’s oldest reigning royal dynasty, the Yamato clan, is in Japan, and has had at least ceremonial power uninterruptedly since 539. There was one earlier monarch too, although mythical in nature).
It was the first time you could attest to an almost unified state in Japan. That didn’t mean that the entirety of Japan was under the emperor’s guise, as there were autonomous states in the north, west, east and southwest (southern Kyushu) respectively.
Men wore vest-like garments and trousers, and women wore vest-like garments and skirts. People lived in pit dwellings as well as in wood houses on the ground. The stratified society it was, there were three main classes, with the emperor at the top:
- the uji, being the highborn clans, such as the Otomo, Nakatomi, Mononobe, Haji and Soga clans. The land was divided into provinces which were ruled by governors called kuni-no-miyatsuko. Especially esteemed clans would be awarded the noble title of kabane by the emperor
- the be, consisting of people such as blacksmiths, official scribes and paper producers. Artisans were organized into guilds
- slaves at the bottom, including enslaved POWs
Peasants and commoners celebrated festivals like Toshigoi (praying for a good harvest) and Niname (a thanksgiving festival). Religion, magic and ritual life was an important element in daily life.
People would go visit and sacrifice in Shinto shrines and temples. The dispersed, local shamanic practices and beliefs was transformed into one formalized, organized religion.
There were kami spirits for natural phenomena, objects and places such as the wind, the valleys, the sun and moon, fertility, the mountains, the sea, waterfalls etc. The spiritual world and the physical reality was intertwined. Clan leaders performed sacred rites to their clan’s individual kami, thus securing the long-term welfare of the family.
One of the oldschool Shinto practices would involve burning the scapula of a deer in a fire. Afterwards, they would interpret the cracks and foretell the future.
During this period, Japanese society and culture was under the sway of foreign influence, and massively so. Out of the roughly 1200 clans in Japan at the time, 154 were of foreign origin. Many Korean and Chinese people (toraijin) emigrated to Japan, bringing with them astrology, aspects of the Chinese writing system, irrigation technology, sericulture (silk production) and weaving. According to the Book of Song, the Japanese first established contact with the Chinese in the 4th century.
The impact of these migrants cannot be understated. Takamuko no Kuromaro, a 7th century Japanese statesman who was a central member of the Taika Reform, was of Chinese descent; several facets of the Taika Reform is still visible in Japanese culture. The current emperor of Japan, Akihito, has confirmed his Korean royal descent. At one point, the Korean kingdoms of Silla and Baekje sent their princes as hostages to Japan in exchange for Japanese military support against the northern kingdom of Goguryeo. Japanese emperors used to ask the Chinese emperor for confirmation of royal titles; it gave unparalleled legitimacy in the region to whoever had it.
In short, the Kofun Japanese had deep economic and political ties with the rest of East China. This contrasts with the uncompromising isolationist policies of the later Tokugawa Shogunate (1603–1868). This era was of critical importance in the evolution of Japan into a cohesive, united nation.
What marked the end of the Kofun Period, was the gradual fading away of the keyhole burial mounds, but more importantly the radical step to introduce Buddhism to Japan in 552. This transformed the religious and societal landscape in Japan tremendously.
If it hadn’t been for the very specific order of events, happenings, people and developments that occurred and existed in this epoch, Japan could have evolved into something very different from what we know it as today. These islands saw the contours of becoming Japan, the land of the rising sun.
If you want to learn more about Japan, I highly recommend the YouTube channel that goes by the name of Linfamy:
