Achi no omi
Hanja
阿知使主
Revised RomanizationAchi-no-omi
McCune–ReischauerAchi-no-omi

Achi no omi (阿知使主, 3rd century – 5th century) also known as Achiki (阿直岐) or Achikishi (阿知吉師), was the legendary founder of the "Yamatonoaya clan (東漢氏)" who settled in Japan with his son Tsuga no omi.[1] He is considered one of the three most influential Toraijins alongside Yuzuki no Kimi and Wani during the Kofun period.

Origin

He is first mentioned in the Nihon Shoki when discussing about his arrival in Japan.

20th year, Autumn, 9 month. Achi no omi, ancestor of the Atahe of the Aya of Yamato, and his son Tsuga no omi immigrated to Japan, bringing with them a company of their people of seventeen districts.[2]

However, due to conflicting details across several sources that claim different origins of Achi no omi, several theories have been proposed by modern historians.

According to Shoku Nihongi (797), it is said that he was the great-grandson of Emperor Ling of Han which is the reason why his clan was named "東漢" meaning "Eastern Han" in Chinese characters.

Main article: Yamatonoaya clan

On the contrary, older documents such as the Nihon Shoki (720) and Kojiki (711) state that Achi no omi and his clan, the Yamatonoaya clan had originated from the kingdom of Baekje.[3]

Japanese scholars have indicated that Yamatonoaya clan and other "Aya (漢)" clans were all related and that they were generally classified under the same ethnic group.[4] These mainly included: the "Aya clan (漢氏)", the "Yamatonoaya clan (東漢氏/倭漢氏)" and the "Kawachinoaya clan (西漢氏/河内漢氏)". It is said that Yamatonoaya clan, Aya and Kawachinoaya, though not from the same founder, were ethnically related,[4] most likely all immigrating from Baekje.

百濟王遣阿直岐，貢良馬二匹。即養於輕阪上厩。因以阿直岐令掌飼。阿直岐亦能讀經典。及太子菟道稚郎子師焉。於是天皇問阿直岐曰，如勝汝博士亦有耶。對曰，有王仁者。是秀也。時遣上毛野君祖荒田別・巫別於百濟，仍徴王仁也。
The King of Baekje sent Achiki (Achi no omi) to deliver two horses. He was stationed at a stable in Karu where he took care of the horses. He was a master of reading scriptures and was placed as the mentor to Ujinowakiiratsuko. One day, the Emperor of Japan asked him "is there someone more talented than yourself?" and he replied, "a great scholar named Wani". The emperor dispatched his men to bring Wani from Baekje.

— Nihon Shoki

"Kawachinoaya (西漢氏)" in particular, is thought to be related with the Yamatonoaya clan. The clan was one of the clans first founded by the scholar Wani (alongside clans such as "Kawachinofumi clan (西文氏)") who arrived in Japan from the kingdom of Baekje who helped spread the use of the Chinese Writing system in Japan. According to Japanese scholars, Wani and Achi no omi founded Kawachinoaya and Yamatonoaya clan respectively, both being of Baekje origin and influential ethnic Koreans in Japan at the time. They shared the same character "Aya" but separated one another with the use of cardinal directions ("Kawachi/西" meaning West and "Yamato/東" meaning East) as Wani's Kawachinoaya clan resided in "Furuichikoori (河内国古市郡)", (present day Furuichigun (古市郡) [ja] in Osaka) located in the west of Japan, while Achi no omi and his Yamatonoaya clan resided in the Yamato Kingdom found in the east.

Main articles: Ara Gaya, Mimana, and Peninsular Japonic

Some also theorized that he and his clan originated from the Gaya confederacy, specifically from the kingdom of "Aya (安邪国)" (old name for Ara Gaya) where the placename became the etymology of the Aya clans.[5][6][7][8] According to this theory, the immigrants brought many Baekje technologies from Aya[8][9] and were considered as close kin to the people of Baekje.[5][10] Some nationalist historians used this to support the claims over the Mimana controversy stating that Mimana (Gaya) was in fact Japanese due to the relations between the kingdom of Aya and the Aya clans of Japan.[7][11] Despite the lukewarm reception in Korea, evidence alludes to the possibilities of Japanese speakers in the region.[12][13]

Much like the Hata clan, modern Japanese historians state that historical and archeological evidence allude to Korean origins (specifically of Baekje or Gaya), therefore in recent times, Achi no omi and his clan are perceived as Korean in Japan.[14][15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shinsen Shōjiroku
  2. ^ Nihon Shoki X:13; p.264
  3. ^ 『古代国家と天皇』創元社、1957年
  4. ^ a b Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡, 伸行 (31 July 2023). "神々のルーツ　明日香の地と「今木神」 – 全日本民医連". www.min-iren.gr.jp (in Japanese). Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本民主医療機関連合会).
  5. ^ a b Suzuki, Takeju (1975). 偽られた大王の系譜 [Falsehoods of the great ruler] (in Japanese). the University of Michigan. p. 94.
  6. ^ Ishiwatari, Shin'ichirō (1988). 日本古代王朝の成立と百済 [The formation of ancient Japanese clans and Kudara] (in Japanese). アジア史研究会. p. 162.
  7. ^ a b Suwa, Haruo (1993). 倭族と古代日本 [Yamato people and ancient Japan] (in Japanese). p. 144. ISBN 9784639011910.
  8. ^ a b Takemitsu, Makoto (2013). 真説日本古代史 [Truth behind ancient Japan] (in Japanese). PHP研究所. p. 123. ISBN 9784569810751.
  9. ^

    安羅国から移住してきた東漢氏は百済の技術をもっていた。
    Yamatonoaya clan, being immigrants from the kingdom of Aya, brought with them the technologies of Baekje.

    — Makoto Takemitsu
  10. ^

    東漢氏は百済=安羅系の、朝鮮半島からの来住者たちなのである。
    The Yamatonoaya clan was "Baekje and/or Aya" descent who had immigrated from the Korean Peninsula.

    — Takeju Suzuki
  11. ^

    「安羅日本府」と改称し、さらに『書紀』が「任那日本府」と改めたのであります。
    The name "Mimana of Japan" was in fact "Aya of Japan" before it was rewritten in the Nihon Shoki.

    — Haruo Suwa
  12. ^ Janhunen, Juha (2010). "RECONSTRUCTING THE LANGUAGE MAP OF PREHISTORICAL NORTHEAST ASIA". Studia Orientalia 108 (2010). ... there are strong indications that the neighbouring Baekje state (in the southwest) was predominantly Japonic-speaking until it was linguistically Koreanized.
  13. ^ Vovin, Alexander (2013). "From Koguryo to Tamna: Slowly riding to the South with speakers of Proto-Korean". Korean Linguistics. 15 (2): 222–240.
  14. ^ Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡, 伸行 (31 July 2023). "神々のルーツ　明日香の地と「今木神」 – 全日本民医連". www.min-iren.gr.jp (in Japanese). Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (全日本民主医療機関連合会).
  15. ^

    特別史跡のキトラ古墳、高松塚古墳をはじめ数多くの史跡が残る奈良県明日香村は、“列島の古代”がそっくり眠っている場所。この地に根を張ったのが、新羅系の秦氏と共に古代の職能集団を束ねた百済系の漢氏（東漢氏）でした。

    — 片岡伸行, 神々のルーツ　明日香の地と「今木神」, https://www.min-iren.gr.jp/?p=48205
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