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

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.

Author: J. Edward Kidder
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Published: 02/28/2007
Pages: 416
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.46h x 6.50w x 1.27d
ISBN: 9780824830359

About the Author
Kidder, J. Edward: - J. Edward Kidder, Jr., is professor emeritus, International Christian University, Tokyo.

This title is not returnable