Wani is mentioned only in Japanese history books; he is not recorded in Korean or Chinese sources.[1] The main sources of Wani's biography are the Kojiki (680) and the Nihon Shoki (720).
And, [the Emperor Ōjin] ordered [Geunchogo, the King of] Baekje, "If there is any wise man, offer him up as tribute." The person whose name, offered by the command, was Wani-Kishi. And, [the King] gave, as tributes, along with him, ten volumes of the Analects and one volume of the Thousand Character Classic. This Wani-Kishi is the progenitor of the Fumi-no-Obito clan.
In the 15th year [of the Emperor Ōjin's reign] (AD 284), in autumn, in August, new moon of rén-xū, dīng-mǎo (the sixth), the King of Baekje dispatched Achiki (Achi no omi) and offered up two good horses as a tribute [to Japan, along with him]. Then, they were reared in the stable (umaya) atop the hill (saka) of Karu. And, Achiki was entrusted to raise them. Therefore, the place where the horses were raised was called Umayasaka. Achiki also read the Confucian classics well. Then, Prince Uji-no-Waki-Iratsuko took him as his teacher. Now, the Emperor inquired to Achiki, saying, "Is there any scholar superior to you?" He replied, "There is a man called Wani. He is excellent." Then, the Emperor dispatched Aratawake and Kamunagiwake (a male oracle), who were ancestors of the Kamitsuke-no-Kimi clan, to Baekje, to summon Wani. This Achiki is the progenitor of the Achiki-no-Fubito clan.
In the 16th year, in spring, in February, Wani had come. Then, Prince Uji-no-Waki-Iratsuko took him as his teacher, learned various classics under him and there was nothing he didn't become thoroughly acquainted with. This so-called Wani was the progenitor of the Fumi-no-Obito clan.
These stories have long been questioned by scholars. Ten volumes are too much for the Analects, and more importantly, his alleged arrival predates the composition of the Thousand Character Classic (the early 6th century). Arai Hakuseki (1657–1725) considered that Wani had brought a certain book of Elementary Learning which the Kojiki had confused with the Thousand Character Classic. Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) claimed that it was pointless to care about details because the Thousand Character Classic was mentioned just as a typical book of Elementary Learning. Some assume a different version of the Thousand Character Classic was brought but this theory has no clear basis. In short, it is not unnatural for people like Wani to have come to Japan around that time, but there is no strong evidence determining whether Wani really existed.[4]
Dating the alleged arrival of Wani is rather difficult since there are long-lasting disputes over the accuracy of these sources on early events. According to the traditional dating, it would be 285 though is considered too early by historians. Based on the reign of King Akue (阿花王; identified as King Asin 阿莘王) of Baekje, who, according to the Nihon Shoki, died in the 16th year of Emperor Ōjin's reign, it would be 405.[5] However, this theory contradicts the description of the Kojiki, which says that Wani's arrival was during the reign of King Shōko (照古王; usually identified as King Geunchogo 近肖古王, r. 346-375) of Baekje. The Kojiki suggests that Wani arrived sometime after 372.[4]
Influence
The descendants of Wani, or more precisely, those who claimed Wani to be their ancestor, were collectively called the Kawachinofumi clan. They lived in Kisaichi of Kawachi Province together with their branch families. The head family had the uji "Fumi" [literature] after their duty as scribes, and similarly their branch families were given the kabane "Fuhito" [scribe].
Despite Wani's fame as a scholar, the Kawachinofumi clan was not so active as secretaries for administration. A rare exception was Fumi no Nemaro (文禰麻呂; ?-707). Instead of being active in civil administration, he rose to a rank unusually high for a mid-level bureaucrat for his military performances in the Jinshin War (672). Some historians consider that this was the reason why the legend of Wani was recorded in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. It is known that scribes of foreign origin had similar and mutually conflicting legends about their founders. Features common in their stories include the arrival during the reign of Emperor Ōjin, the introduction of Chinese literature and/or Confucianism, and the surname Wang. The legend of Wani was chosen with the rest of them ignored because the Kawachinofumi clan was relatively powerful at the time of the compilation of the history books.[6]
Origin
Due to the peculiar nature of the records, the origins of Wani is often questioned, bringing up several theories in regards to his identity.
The most popular and widely accepted theory is that Wani (alongside many other clan founders) was a by product of a political move in Japan that provided clans of foreign origins their founders with legendary qualities in return for political stability and cooperation.[7][8] Much like Yuzuki no Kimi and Achi no Omi, who also lack records of respective kingdoms they allegedly hail from (Silla and Baekje),[9] Wani's origins are also considered more symbolic than historically accurate in recent times.
Another less popularized theory is that Wani was a Chinese individual who naturalized to Baekje after the fall of the Four Commanderies of Han.[10][11] According to this theory, Wani's surname was "王 (Ō)", a character that is widely used by Chinese individuals, which thus alludes to a Chinese origin.
In 791 Wani's descendants including Fumi no Mooto (文最弟) and Takefu no Makata (武生真象) made a successful attempt to elevate their kabane or family rank. According to the Shoku Nihongi (797), their appeal was as follows:
Luan (鸞) was a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han. Luan's descendant Wang Gou (王狗) moved to Baekje. During the reign of King Kuso of Baekje, the imperial court sent envoys to summon literati. King Kuso offered Gou's grandson Wang Ren (Wani) as a tribute. He was the founder of Fumi, Takefu and other clans.[12]
A similar story can be found in the description of the Fumi no Sukune (文宿禰) clan by the Shinsen Shōjiroku (815) which is thought to have been influenced by the aforementioned story. However, much like the other founders of influential clans of foreign origin, the claim that Wani was from a Chinese imperial line is considered a fabricated story made by their descendants to elevate their ranks as similar attempts are found within Yuzuki no Kimi and Achi no omi's stories (both allegedly descendants of Emperor Qin and Emperor Ling of Han, respectively). Modern Japanese historians deduced that archeological, genealogical and historical evidence showed that the individuals were in fact of Korean origin[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and that their stories (which were in truth added much later after their first mentions in older sources) created by their descendants were simply a means to an end for political dominance.
Also, some scholars have criticized this claim as the character only makes its first appearance in Nihon Shoki[20] and an entirely separate character "和 (Wa)" is used to represent his name in the much older, Kojiki.[21] Skeptics argue that the two characters were merely there for phonetic reasons (Kun'yomi) as the correct pronunciation of "王仁" in On'yomi is in fact, "Ō Jin" or "Ō Nin" not "Wani". To elaborate, Wanikishi, the original name Wani was first recorded under includes a suffix, "Kishi (吉師)" that is thought be of Baekje origin as found in titles found in Baekje royalty recorded as "Gilji (吉支)", pronounced "Kichi" in Old Korean.[22] For further context, the alternate name for fellow Baekje immigrant Achi no omi, "Achikishi (阿知吉師)" was also recorded with the suffix "Kishi", indicating a commonality between said individuals. In addition, the original characters "和邇" is indeed pronounced "Wani" as seen in Wani (dragon)[23] therefore, it can be deduced that his name was pronounced "Wani", regardless of the Chinese characters. Many stress the change from "和邇" to "王仁" was due to many Chinese Confucianists having the surname "王 (Wang in Chinese)" at the time[24] and that his name was changed to fit more with the idea of him being a "Confucianist" rather than basing it on his ethnicity.
Later interpretations
The article of the Nihon Shoki was traditionally interpreted as the introduction of Confucianism and/or Chinese literature although not clearly stated in the history book.
According to the preface to the Kokin Wakashū (905), a famous Waka poem starting with "Naniwa-zu" was traditionally attributed to Wani.[25] At that time, the imperial throne was vacant for three years because the future Emperor Nintoku (successor to Emperor Ōjin) and his brother Crown Prince Uji no Waki Iratsuko renounced succession to the throne to crown the other. Historians and philologists are skeptical about the attribution to Wani because it cannot be found in earlier sources. From the early 10th century on, this poem was regarded as a chorus that praises Emperor Nintoku. As a result, Wani was portrayed as a sage submitting to the emperor's virtue.
From the Heian period onward, references to Wani mostly involved the Naniwa-zu poem. Some commentaries to Waka poems describe Wani as a man from Silla in southeastern Korea. Although this error was corrected by Fujiwara no Norikane's Waka dōmōshō (1145–53) and Kenshō's Kokinshū jo chū (1183) with the reference to the Nihon Shoki, it survived for a long time. To solve the contradiction, Reizei Tamesuke even claimed in 1297 that Wani had been transferred from Baekje to Silla and then from Silla to Japan. A possible reason for this error is that Wani's arrival at Japan was interpreted as a result of Empress Jingū's conquest of Silla, which was recorded in the Nihon Shoki.[26]
The general consensus is that Wani was an individual who was created to give political agency to Japanese clans of foreign origins at the time, which is why his existence is nowhere to be found outside of Japanese records. It is also the reason why he was recorded under multiple names across several sources (despite having the same pronunciation), many of them putting emphasis on the symbolism of his accomplishments.
Political exploitations
Hirakata
The so-called tomb of Wani is located in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture. It is, however, most likely that the alleged tomb identified in the 18th century has nothing to do with Wani.[27]
The "tomb" was located in Fujisaka Village, Kawachi Province (part of the modern-day Hirakata city). It was originally a pair of stones known to local people as "Oni Tomb" (於爾墓). In other words, they were not associated with Wani. The situation changed in 1731 when the Confucian scholar Namikawa Seisho (並河誠所) visited there for the purpose of compiling a geography monograph named Gokinaishi (五畿内志). He claimed that he discovered an old document at Wada Temple of Kin'ya Village (also part of the modern Hirakata) that read the name "Oni Tomb" was the corrupt form of Wani Tomb. At his recommendation, a stonetomb was built behind the stones. It is generally considered that the "tomb" in Hirakata is Namikawa's fabrication. There is no ancient record that refers to Wani's burial site. Archaeologically speaking, there was no such custom of setting a tombstone on a mound before the introduction of Buddhism.[27]
The new myth spread as the Kokugaku movement became active. Wani was praised as a talented and faithful servant to the ancient emperors. In 1827, a monument in honor of Wani was erected near the tomb, on which his name was engraved by Prince Arisugawa. After the Meiji Restoration, a ceremony was held at the tomb in 1899 to commemorate the 1500-year anniversary of the death of Emperor Nintoku.
After the annexation of Korea, another symbolic role was given to Wani in relation to modern Korea/Koreans. As part of an effort to integrate Korea into the empire, conciliatory approaches were adopted. Wani was utilized as a historical precedent for serving the emperor loyally in spite of non-Japanese root. In 1927 a society was set up in Tokyo to build a shrine for Wani. Its member included Uchida Ryōhei from the Black Dragon Society. The project for building a shrine in the site of the Wani tomb began in 1930. In 1932 the society celebrated the 1650-year anniversary of Wani's arrival there. The construction of Wani shrine started in 1940 but was never completed. In addition to Wani Shrine, a pair of monuments was built in honor of Wani in Tokyo's Ueno Park in 1939.[27]
With the disintegration of the Japanese Empire, the political role of Wani ceased to exist. Instead, Wani was targeted by Korean political exploitation. Koreans, in turn, use Wani as a symbol of ancient Korea's "cultural superiority" over Japan. Since the 1980s Korean nationals in Japan have led various events visualizing Wani's alleged arrival at Japan. President Kim Dae-jung sent a personal letter to a ceremony at the tomb in 1998, and Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil visited there in 1999.[28]
Yeongam
Entrance of 2017 Yeongam wangin culture festival.
Even though Korea has no historical records on Wani, "Doctor Wang In's Historical Sites" (Wang In is the Koreanized form of Wani, 왕인) are located in Gurim Village, Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea today. It is based on a new myth that can date back only to the early 20th century.[29]
Earlier geography books including the Taekriji (1751) never link Wani to Yeongam. The first known record that associates Wani with Yeongam is the Joseon Hwanyeo Seungnam (朝鮮寰輿勝覧; 1922–37) by Yi Byeong-yeon (이병연, 李秉延). It claims without providing any evidence that Wani was born in Yeongnam.[30] It is known that around the same time, a Japanese monk named Aoki Keishō claimed on the basis of "oral tradition" that Yeongam was Wani's homeland. In 1932 he made a failed appeal to erect a bronze statue of Wani in Yeongam.
A new myth about Wangin was publicized in South Korea in the 1970s. In 1972 the social activist Kim Changsu reported a series of essays titled "Korean spirit embodied in Japan". In the framework of Korean national history, Wani was regarded as a Korean. Upon being informed by a reader from Yeongam, Kim issued a statement identifying Yeongam as the birthplace of Wani in the next year. In spite of the weakness of the evidence, Wani's "relic site" was designated as Cultural Asset No. 20 of South Jeolla Province in 1976.[29]
The development of Wani's "historical sites" was led by the governments of South Jeolla Province and Yeongam County. The governor of South Jeolla Province was from Yeongam County.[28] The construction was carried out from 1985 to 1987, "restoring" the "birthplace", schools where Wani allegedly studied, and others. Yeongam County started to fully exploit the old-looking new theme park as a tourist attraction because the introduction of local autonomy of 1990 forced the local government to look for its own source of revenue. For example, Youngam County began to host the annual "Wangin Culture Festival" in 1997 that was previously organized by local people under the name of "Cherry blossom festival". The exploitation was not done without opposition. In fact, it is criticized by a faction who attempts to use Buddhist monk Doseon (827–898) as the main tourism resource of Yeongam.[28]
^Early Korean books referring to Wani were written more than a millennium later and were clearly based on Japanese sources, not on their own. See (Kim:2001).
古代に朝鮮半島から渡来した氏族。『日本書紀』応神天皇条に，秦始皇帝(しんのしこうてい)子孫という伝承をもつ弓月君（ゆづきのきみ）が多数の民を率いて渡来したのに始まるとしますが，「はた」は古代朝鮮語で海の意であり，実際は5世紀中頃に新羅から渡来した氏族集団と考えられます。 A clan that immigrated from the Korean Peninsula in ancient times. In the Emperor Ōjin section of Nihon Shoki, it is said that Yuzuki no Kimi, who is said to have been a descendant of the First Qin Emperor, led a large group of people to Japan. However, "Hata" means "sea" in ancient Korean, and it is thought that the tribe actually came from Silla in the mid-5th century.
以上の来歴は、実際にはあまりあてにならず、近年では、秦氏は朝鮮半島の新羅地方出身であろうと考えられています。 The historical accounts are not very reliable, and in recent years it has been thought that the Hata clan came from the Silla region of the Korean Peninsula.
^Takaoka, Nobuyuki; 片岡, 伸行 (2023-07-31). "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).
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。 Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture is home to many historic sites, including the Kitora tombs and Takamatsuzuka tombs, which are special historical sites, and is a place where the "ancient times of the archipelago" remains intact. The Yamatonoaya clan of Baekje, which together with the Hata clan of Silla, had roots in this area, led an ancient professional group.
^Ukeda Masayuki 請田正幸: Fuhito shūdan no ichi kōsatsu フヒト集団の一考察, Kodaishi ronshū (jō) 古代史論集 (上), pp. 179–202, 1988.
^To be precise, this speculation was given as an old commentary to an obscure passage in the Kokin Wakashū. Other interpretations are also possible, and the poem referred to as "Naniwa-zu" in the statement in question might be a different one. An important candidate is the first tanka by Emperor Nintoku since it was created at the palace of Naniwa.
^Kim Kwang-chol 金光哲, Naniwa-zu no uta to Wani 難波津の歌と王仁, The Ôryô Shigaku 鷹陵史学, No. 22, pp. 33–60, 1996.
^The Joseon Hwanyeo Seungnam makes mention of Wani's "tomb" in Hirakata.
References
Gotō Kōji 後藤耕二, Atogaki ni kaete, Den Wani bo o kaishita Daikan minkoku Zenra nandō Reigan-gun to no yūkō toshi mondai o megutte あとがきにかえて‐伝王仁墓を介した大韓民国全羅南道霊岩郡との友好都市問題をめぐって, Zainichi Chōsenjin no rekishi 在日朝鮮人の歴史, pp. 317–328頁, 1994.
Kim Byeong-in 金秉仁: 王仁의 "지역 영웅화" 과정에 대한 문헌사적 검토, Hanguksa yeon-gu 韓國史研究, Vol.115, pp. 107–116, 2001
Ōishi Kazuyo 大石和世: Densetsu o tooshite hyōshō sareru Nikkan kankei 伝説を通して表象される日韓関係 (The Relations of Korea and Japan as represented by a Legend), From Fukuoka: Asia Pacific Study Reports 福岡発・アジア太平洋研究報告, Vol. 13, pp. 1–7, 2004.
