Origins & Early Life

Himiko (卑弥呼; died c. 247 or 248) was a queen of Yamatai, a polity in Wa during the late Yayoi period. She governed a federation of communities over a broad part of the Japanese archipelago and is the earliest named ruler there whose activities are described in detail in surviving records. The principal account of Himiko is the third-century Chinese Records of the Three Kingdoms.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

It records that, after prolonged warfare among the communities of Wa, the people agreed to make her their ruler. Her authority combined religious practice with government, diplomacy, and military affairs, and her younger brother assisted her. In 238 she sent an embassy to the Chinese state of Cao Wei, whose court recognized her as the “Queen of Wa, Friend of Wei” (親魏倭王) and presented her with a gold seal and other gifts. Neither the Kojiki nor the Nihon Shoki, the two oldest surviving Japanese histories, names Himiko. Her relationship to figures in those works, the location of Yamatai, and the identification of her tomb remain disputed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Information about Himiko's life comes principally from Chinese court histories written outside Wa. These sources describe her public rule and foreign relations...

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