Who Was When

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Kofun period and Yamato state

East Asia & PacificHeartland today: Japan

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Rulers in the Nara basin and Osaka plain built huge keyhole-shaped tombs and formed the Yamato court. Buddhism arrived from Korea, and by 645 the Soga were overthrown and rule turned to Chinese models.

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Key events

  1. Elite mounded tombs begin to appear in the Nara basin, marking the rise of the Yamato courtDisputed

    Sources start the tomb-building age anywhere from about 250 to 300 CE, with 250 the earliest.

  2. Builders raise the Daisen Kofun at Sakai, a keyhole-shaped tomb 486 m long, the largest in JapanDisputed

    No source gives an exact year. Nippon.com dates the Mozu-Furuichi group of tombs to the late 4th to late 5th century, and the year shown is only the start of the 5th century. The tomb is traditionally attributed to Emperor Nintoku and has not been excavated, so the occupant is unproven.

  3. A gold-inlaid iron sword from Inariyama in Saitama carries a 115-character inscription naming a Yamato kingDisputed

    The sword gives its date only as the year shingai. That is 471 or 531, and most readings take 471. The king named is read as Wakatakeru.

  4. Buddhism arrives at the Yamato court from KoreaDisputed

    The World History Encyclopedia gives 552 as the traditional date and 538 as the alternative. Wikipedia gives 538 and says the court adopted Buddhism around 592.

  5. The Soga clan defeats the Mononobe and Nakatomi alliance, a clash tied to the arrival of Buddhism
  6. Seventeen Article Constitution, a Buddhist and Confucian code of conduct for officials, is credited to Prince ShōtokuDisputed

    Tradition names Shōtoku as author. Some historians question that he wrote it, and one proposal is that it was composed as a tribute after his death.

  7. Nakatomi no Kamatari and Prince Naka no Ōe overthrow the Soga in a coup, and the Taika reforms follow

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