Yayoi Culture (300 bc - 300 ad)
        ~300 bc earliest evidence
                wheel-turned pottery (thinner than Joomon, no rope imprints, simple or no surface patterns)
                water-field rice agriculture (from China); early burials in large clay pots (kamekan);
        ~100 bc iron farming tools (from China): bronze, iron technology enter at same time; loom-weaving
                imports and domestic production of metal instruments; bronze blades, spears, bells, mirrors;
                ability to fight natural phenomena;
                continued attention to other-wordly phenomena, incantations,
        social changes: group life; accumulation of resources; differentiation between rich and poor;
                hierarchical clan structure; aristocracy groups; large scale villages become small clan-states;
                evidence of slavery
                burials: stone coffins, large tombstones indicate power was not evenly distributed.
Earliest Written Historical Records based on Contact with China:
        ~50+bc: Kanjo records "Wa" divided into 100 countries, commute to Rakuroo-gun (Pyon-yang)
                note: Rakuroo was set up by Han Wu-ti in 108bc; conquered by Koukuri 313ad.
        57bc King Na (region?) mission to China: presented with seal from Later Han Emperor Hsiang-wu
        107ad Gokanjo records King Ito (region?) mission to China: presents Emp. An with 160 slaves (maybe).
        ~250+ad Gishi records "Wa" peoples' customs:
                239 Empress Himiko mission to Wei (Gi) China from "Yamato" (Nara or Kyuushuu? -- debate)
                clothing: 'cotton' band around head; afghan-style unsewn robes; women's hair long, tied in back.
                they always travel with an unclean person: if they have bad luck, they kill him.
                important men have four or five wives: if wife behaves badly, they kill her (and family if bad enough).
                Himiko, a shamaness, ran country after much disorder; only her son communicated with her;
                when she died, they built a huge gravemound; over 100 slaves followed her in death (?)
Contact with Korea: Korean peninsula populations:
        Kookuri: in north, connections with Tungus rule (south Siberia, Manchuria).
        Bakan (50+ groups in southwest, 400s unified as Kudara)
        Shinkan (12 groups in southeast, 400s unified under Shira as Shiragi)
        Benkan (12 groups in south, 300s~500s part of Kara/Kaya, absorbed into Kudara&Shiragi, 562 defunct).
        Mimana: late 300s, parts of Kara/Kaya, may have been under Yamato (Wa) political authority.
        391?  Koutai-Oo monument in Kookuri: records battle with Yamato army near Keijoo (Pyon-yang).
                Yamato army went north, Kookaido-Oo army went south to rescue Shiragi, c369?/391?.
                Yamato dominated (?) Kudara, Shiragi; Yamato Court absorbed Korean culture, resources...
        Horserider Hypothesis (Egami; disputed by others): late 300s horseriders attacked Japanese archipelago.
        Technological Imports from Korean Peninsula (Farris):
                kiln techniques, pottery, armor, horse trappings, etc. reveal gradual (not fast) influx from Korea.
                small-scale bloomery iron production were like Scythians but unlike Chinese.
                Sword and armor styles developed in China, imported via penninsula to archipelago.
                Some armor styles (cuirass) were developed in Korea.
                400-500 Horse trappings gradually increase.
                425-450 rapid growth in use of iron on archipelago.
        562 Mimana conquered: Kudara and Shiragi combined forces to fight against Yamato.
Kofun (=large grave mound) Burials:
        Several hundred kofun built, from Kyushuu to north-central Honshuu (i.e., not just Yamato area).
        300s ~ 400s Kofun are largest: circle and keyhole shaped mounds (up to 480 meters long);
        Also buried: swords, mirrors, haniwa (clay figurines of people, etc.), crowns, etc.
        Demonstrates vast difference in scale of wealth between rich and others.
        300s ~ 400s Chinese written language probably seen in Japan, but not written
Yamato Court Promotes Uniform Political System: 300s ~ 700s spreads clan rule from Yamato area.
        Hypothesized to have originated from Kyuushuu (Yamatai-koku), or from Kinki region.
                If from Kyuushuu, it is possible that it is related to (counter-?) invasion from Korea.
        By late 300s: unified rule in large area, replacing fragmentary clan units of 2c ~ 3c.
                Yamato aristocracy became imperial lineage, but recognized other clan leaders.
        Pushed out aboriginal populations: Emishi to north; Hayato (=Kumaso) to South.
        Pressured Kinki and surrounding areas to formalize names, political clan system...
        Internal Organization: Clans (uji); Rankings (kabane);
                Clan-based functions: Nakatomi, Inbe did ceremonies; Ootomo, Mononobe led armies;
                Ranks related to clan: Ooomi (Grand Councillor) from Soga clan; Oomuraji from Mononobe.
                Miyake: lands developed and (forcibly?) farmed under Yamato management, produce revenue.
        Ceremonies: Toshigoimatsuri (spring); Niinamenomatsuri (autumn): incantations for good crop conditions.
        431 Soosho: Song China document describes patrilineal Japanese rulership
               names five Yamato emperors.
General Population: Social transition to Patriarchal Society:
        General agrarian population ranked as "be"; under-class ranked as "yakko".
                Agrarian life mainly self-sufficient; General markets on designated days.
                Metal plowshares only available to rich; rice was sown (not planted), cut and stored at tips.
                Property was centered on wife's family: husbands would 'visit' wives;
                Marriage recognized between half-siblings, and across generations of same family (father-daughter?).
                General population lived in pits; aristocracy had raised floors, wood structure, thatched roof;
        Late 200s ~ early 400s: graves containing siblings (tooth records, Tanaka Ryoosuke?, Kyushu U).
        Early 400s~: graves containing father and children (often 4-8 to a grave).
                men had first position in graves: signals change to familial, paternal society (maybe).
        From early 500s: graves containing husband, ?wife, and children.
                round gravehills become popular all over:
                signals breakoff of family units, enabling leap in agricultural production
        Top-driven cultural changes?: It is conceivable that males and females traded king/vice-king roles.
                it is suggested that increasing military tension prompted change to paternal, familial society.
                the change could also have been prompted by missions from (patrilineal) Song China.
                        may have been forced on all Japan by Kinai govt, wanting Song China to take them seriously.
Late Kofun Period: from 500s, elite kofun grave mounds smaller than before:
        Vast increase in imports from mainland c.500: writing, calendar, ...
        Late 500s?: Kitora kofun, near Nara (examined by remote camera 1998)
                dragon, byakko, genbu: resemble kofun in Koukuri.
                ceiling has star map: worlds' earliest surviving star map: probably copied from a mainland map.
                        constellations similar to either Korean or Chinese maps (predates existing examples of both).
                        position of horizon indicates map originated at 39th parallel (map is from Rakuroo/Pyonyang?)
                        positions of stars indicate map may have originated 300bc-300ad.
                        path of sun (koodoo): off by 45 degrees: somebody goofed?
        400s-500s Metal and Stone inscriptions written using Chinese characters
        *Kumamoto: Funayama kofun has sword inscription
        *Wakayama: Sumida hachiman has inscription on metal mirror
Yamato Court Turmoil amid Increasing Imports:
        Yamato Court supports returnees from Korea, China:
                Hata, Aya clans specialize in mainland culture, written records.
        Yamato troubled by unstable system of succession, independent wealthy clans, difficult ties with Korea.
                Early 500s: ?? internal rebellion in "Kinmei Court"
                Early 500s: Iwai (Kuninoniyakko): Starts rebellion in Tsukushi; defeated by court.
        Power grows: position of king gradually solidified; revenue from miyake lands increases;
        538 (552 is a mistake from Nihon shoki) Buddhism introduced to Japan:
                        Kudara (=Paikche: noted Chinese cultural imports) king sends image of Buddha to Soga clan after asking for soldiers to fight against Shiragi, Koukuri.  Soga clan becomes major proponent of Buddhism.
        562? Ootomo clan Kanamura (Oomuraji rank) mismanages, loses power in Mimana to Shiragi.
        577(?) Kudara sends second mission, including 3 priests, nun, architect, sculptor.
        579(?) Shiragi (Silla) sends mission to Japan with Buddhist images.
        560s? Nakatomi, Mononobe oppose Soga, burn Buddhist temple and images (560s?)
                Nakatomi: managed official liturgy
        587? Mononobe clan (headed Imperial family guard): Moriya (Oomuraji rank) fights Soga; clan destroyed.
                Soga: first to support Buddhism
        Emperor Bidatsu: supports arts, son (Soga) supports Buddhism
        Emperor Yomei (r586-587) supports Buddhism
                after Yomei's death: Soga and Mononobe fight; Soga victorious, consolidate formidable power
        Emperor Sujun (r587-592): assassinated by Soga after expressing dislike for their power
Meanwhile, on the Mainland:
        Song in south splits from rule by foreigners in north...
        570s Shiragi (Silla) invades Kudara (Paekche), then Koukuri.
        589 Sui Dynasty in north China defeats south, unifies China.
Asuka Period: 593-645 (Literacy, Buddhism Flourish, Taika Reforms)
    Early 600s: matures under rule of Shootoku Taishi, Taika Reforms; becomes Ritsuryoo state.
         Inscripted artifacts increase dramatically in 600s.
         600s writing uses Chinese characters for phonetic value: first for place names, then words in general.
    Empress Suiko (r592-628) enthroned by Soga family
         Becomes nun soon after enthronment, leaving rule to nephew Shotoku Taishi
    Shotoku Taishi (573-621) son of Yomei, nephew of Suiko, Soga clan member, but had fought Soga
         593 becomes sesshoo (high governor) under Empress Suiko.
         Fervent importation of China political structures, literary arts; application to Japan.
                 New ties sought by Koukuri after being attacked by Shiragi: Chinese imports via Koukuri increase.
                 607 sends Ono no Imoko to Sui China; followed by many students, priests,
         Establishes 12 court ranks; institutionalizes Confucianism, allows Buddhism to thrive
         604 ~ 605 Seventeen Article Constitution: absolute power hierarchy defined through ethics
         6 volumes of commentaries on Sutras show erudition, critical and independent thinking
         ?? Sangyou gisho (Shotoku Taishi)
    Buddhism expands
       607 Horyuji construction begins
            Six Nara Sects: 625 Joojitsu; 625 Sanron; 654 Hossoo; 658 Kusha; Ritsu; Kegon
    Buddhist texts brought to Japan
            Treatise on Middle Path: 2C Nagarjuna;409 Kumarajiva; all is unreal and relative
            Treatise on Yoga: 5C Vasubandhu;
    630 Expedition to T'ang China
    645 Taika Reforms: brought ricelands under state control;
        created local governments to collect taxes
    658 Arima no Miko blamed for attempted coup d'etat and executed
    Emperor Tenchi (626-671; r662-671)
            encouraged each household to erect Buddhist shrine
    671-2 Jinshin War: Emp Tenji's younger brother defeats Tenji's son; becomes Emp Temmu 673
    681 Kiyomihara Ritsuryoo: Emp Tenmu orders a new compilation of law books
        689 enacted by Emp Jitoo: became model for Taihoo Ritsuryoo laws of 702.
    684 provincial governors ordered to erect Buddhist shrine on their residences
    686 Ootu no Miko executed
    696 Prince Takechi dies
    702 Taiho Ritsuryo Laws: law codes adopted from Sui and T'ang dynasties