Yayoi Period: The Story of a Queen Who Bloomed in the Yayoi Era
- Prologue: The dawn of a new era
It was a time when the forests and the sea still nurtured the lives of people.
One day, new technology and culture arrived on the wind from across the sea to this archipelago where time flows quietly.
Blue, shining metal vessels. Tools never seen before.
But what struck people the most was a single tiny rice seed.
Planted in rice paddies, that rice eventually brought a stable bounty to the people.
The days of relying on hunting and gathering in the forest gradually changed, villages expanded, and settlements took root on riverbanks and plains.
And thus, a new curtain was quietly opened on the Japanese archipelago, the Yayoi period.
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- Chapter 1: The formation of a nation and conflict
As the seasons of green rice seedlings swaying in the wind came and went, the villages gained prosperity.
Surplus rice became a trade item, and villages exchanged goods, and people came and went, sharing wisdom.
However, desire lurked behind the abundance.
The land of the neighboring village was vast. The water of that river was clear.
Soon, someone sought those resources, sparking a conflict.
The villages built walls, acquired weapons, and strengthened their defenses.
Then, leaders emerged, those who stood above them all.
Those who would unite the villages, protect the people, and sometimes fight.
The people gathered under them, and before long, they came to be called "kuni."
Among the many kuni, Yamataikoku, which spread across Kitakyushu, stood out from the rest.
(※The location of Yamataikoku remains unknown to this day. The most likely theories are that it was in Kyushu or Kinki.)
Strangely enough, at the top of it all was a woman.
Her name was Himiko.
She did not wield a sword, but served the gods and was also a shrine maiden who listened to the voice of heaven.
The people listened to her oracles, quelled the conflicts, and the country was enveloped in peace.
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- Chapter 2: Dispatch of an Envoy to Wei
One year, Himiko set her sights on the powerful country of Wei across the sea, seeking greater peace and prestige for her country.
She chose her loyal retainers, Nasyoone and Toshigyuri.
They crossed the waves, stepped on the land of the continent, and knelt before the Wei emperor.
"We come from Wakoku."
The Wei emperor welcomed them and bestowed Himiko with the title of "King of Wa who is friendly to Wei" and the honor of the Golden Seal with Purple Ribbon.
Thus, Yamataikoku made its name on the international stage, and its position became unshakable.
But the peace did not last long.
Kunakoku, located in the south of Kyushu.
Its king, Himikoko, rebelled against Himiko's rule and gathered an army.
Swords and arrows rang out, fields were trampled, and the people were frightened.
Yamataikoku and Kunakoku, a queen and a male king.
The sparks over power burned the archipelago for a long time.
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- Chapter 3: Himiko's Death and Successor
Then, in the year 247 AD, a queen who had long ruled Yamataikoku and reigned as a shrine maiden connecting heaven and the people quietly ended her life.
Himiko dies.
At that moment, it was as if a cold wind blew through the country.
Just as the sun was setting and the moon was sinking, the light was lost from the hearts of the people.
Without a queen, Yamataikoku tossed and swayed like a ship without a rudder.
The nobles fought over power, and the hastily appointed male king could not attract the hearts of any of them.
Civil war broke out.
Swords clashed, arrows flew, and blood stained the earth.
It was an endless period of confusion, and before they knew it, more than a thousand lives had been lost in vain.
In the midst of the chaos, the people once again sought "prayer."
Someone who could clear away this darkness and bring back peace.
At that time, a single girl was appointed.
Iyo, a mere thirteen-year-old descendant of Himiko.
Her eyes still retained a childlike quality, but they were deep and clear, like a lake calm in the midst of a storm.
She received divine oracles from an early age, and though she spoke little, she exuded a mysterious dignity.
The people saw in her the image of the former Himiko.
And under Ichiyo, the people's hearts finally regained peace, and the country was united once again.
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- Final Chapter: The Legacy of the Yayoi Period
Thus, the Yayoi era passed, and the next era came to the archipelago.
Even after the Yayoi era was gone, its foundations became the framework of the country of Japan, and still live beneath our feet.
Next: Kofun Period: Hills of Resting Kings and the Birth of New Power
