Editing Emperor Yūryaku (section)

==Historical assessment==
Yūryaku is regarded by historians as a ruler during the [[5th century]] whose existence is generally accepted as fact.<ref name="Yuryakuex"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.t-net.ne.jp/~keally/kofun.html|title=Kofun Culture|author=Kelly, Charles F.|work=www.t-net.ne.jp|access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref> Scholar [[Francis Brinkley]] lists Emperor Yūryaku under "Protohistoric sovereigns" where he remarks that while some historians have described him as an "austere" man, "few readers of his annals will be disposed to endure such a lenient verdict."<ref name="Brinkley"/> He also added that the year 475 AD marks the first "absolute agreement between the dates given in Japanese history and those given in Korean...."<ref name="Brinkley"/> This in turn has caused critics to admit the trustworthiness of Japanese history in the late [[5th century]].<ref name="Brinkley"/> Scottish Orientalist scholar and journalist [[James Murdoch (Scottish Orientalist)|James Murdoch]] regards Yūryaku as a "much maligned person who was a strong if somewhat ferocious ruler."<ref name="Fane1"/> British academic and author [[Richard Ponsonby-Fane]] noted that the Emperor is described as a "mighty hunter" as its recorded that the God "Hitokotonushi" accompanied him in the chase.<ref name="Fane1"/>

The Emperor's interest in poetry is amongst the more well-documented aspects of his character and reign. Poems attributed to him are included in the ''[[Man'yōshū]]'', and a number of his verses are preserved in the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihonshoki''.<ref name="EYPoet"/> Archaeological research has also confirmed that large keyhole-shaped tombs belonging to the chiefs of local ruling families disappeared from around the end of the 5th century when Yūryaku reigned.<ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding the Nihonshoki and Songshu: The Mysterious Fourth Generation Machine and the Five Kings of Wa|author=Yoshiyuki Takioto|publisher=Seishun Publishing Co., Ltd., Seishun Shinsho Intelligence|year=2018|page=164|isbn=978-4-413-04548-3}}</ref>

A modern-day cognitive analysis "as deciphered in the Nihon shoki" was conducted in 2024 by the [[National Institute of Japanese Literature]]. In this analysis Emperor Yūryaku was included as an example of "impulsive murder and the tendency to become enraged." Factors such as "the disproportion between the triggering events", "the violence expressed by the emperor on such occasions (quite extreme in degree)", and the "frequent occurrence of such descriptions" were then considered for a conclusion. It is suggested that Emperor Yūryaku may have had an "[[intermittent explosive disorder]], a type of [[Impulse-control disorder]]."<ref name="NIJL2024"/>

Outside of the ''Kiki'', the reign of [[Emperor Kinmei]]{{efn|The 29th Emperor<ref name="Titsingh"/><ref name="Brown2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w4f5FrmIJKIC&pg=PA261|title=A Translation and Study of the Gukanshō, an Interpretative History of Japan Written in 1219|author=[[Delmer Brown|Brown, Delmer M.]] and Ichirō Ishida|publisher=University of California Press|year=1979|pages=248, 261–262|isbn=9780520034600}}</ref>}} ({{circa|509}}&nbsp;– 571 AD) is the first for which contemporary historiography has been able to assign verifiable dates.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=axRyAAAAMAAJ&q=According+to+legend%2C+the+first+Japanese+Emperor+was+Jimmu.+Along+with+the+next+13+Emperors%2C+Jimmu+is+not+considered+an+actual%2C+historical+figure.+Historically+verifiable+Emperors+of+Japan+date+from+the+early+sixth+century+with+Kimmei.|title=''Japanese Politics: Fixed and Floating Worlds''|author=Hoye, Timothy.|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=1999|page=78|quote=According to legend, the first Japanese Emperor was Jimmu. Along with the next 13 Emperors, Jimmu is not considered an actual, historical figure. Historically verifiable Emperors of Japan date from the early sixth century with Kimmei.|isbn=9780132712897}}</ref> The conventionally accepted names and dates of the early Emperors were not confirmed as "traditional" though, until the reign of [[Emperor Kanmu]]{{efn|Kanmu was the 50th sovereign of the [[Imperial House of Japan|imperial dynasty]]}} between 737 and 806 AD.<ref name="aston109 & 217-223"/>

===Great King of Yamato===
[[File:Inariyama sword.JPG|thumb|right|[[Inariyama Sword]]]]
During this moment in history, the calendar system of the [[Nihon Shoki]] changes from before and after Yūryaku's reign. As his name is mentioned at the beginning of the [[Man'yōshū]] and [[Nihon Ryōiki]], this is seen as a historical turning point.<ref>{{cite book|title=Emperor Yuryaku and His Era|author=Arikiyo Saeki|publisher=Yoshikawa Kobunkan|year=1988|page=6–8|isbn=978-4-642-02145-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kojiro Naoki talks about the ancient times 6: The formation of ancient states: from the Yuryaku dynasty to the Keitai and Kinmei dynasties|author=Kojiro Naoki|publisher=Yoshikawa Kobunkan|year=2009|pages=15–23|isbn=978-4-642-07887-0}}</ref> Previously [[Wakoku|the Japanese archipelago]] had been a confederation of powerful ruling families from various regions. This appeared to have  changed with the appearance of Emperor Yuryaku as the autocratic rule of the [[Okimi|Great King]] was established and a centralized system centered on the Great King began.<ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding the Nihonshoki and Songshu: The Mysterious Fourth Generation Machine and the Five Kings of Wa|author=Yoshiyuki Takioto|publisher=Seishun Publishing Co., Ltd., Seishun Shinsho Intelligence|year=2018|page=160|isbn=978-4-413-04548-3}}</ref> This is further supported by a major discovery that occurred in 1968 when the iron [[Inariyama Sword|Inariyama burial-mound sword]] was extracted from a tomb. In 1978, [[X-ray]] analysis revealed a gold-inlaid inscription that comprises at least 115 Chinese characters. The given year on the sword is denoted as "''xin-hai''" ("Year of the Metal Pig") according to the Chinese [[sexagenary cycle]], in which the name of the year is recycled every 60 years. While this year is generally regarded in Japan to correspond to 471 AD, at least one historian suggests that 531 is a more likely date.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Writing in Japan|author=Seeley, Christopher|publisher=Brill Academic Publishers|year=1991|pages=19–23|isbn=90-04-09081-9}}</ref> 

The person buried in the tomb is given the name "Wowake", who was thought to be an influential warrior in the region. King Waka Takiru in the transcription is thought to be the same person as Ōhatsuse-wakatakeru-no-mikoto as mentioned in the ''[[Nihon Shoki]]'', an alias of Emperor Yūryaku.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Emergence of Japanese Kingship|author=[[Joan R. Piggott]]|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=1997}}</ref> As each inscription contains the name of an official position, this suggests that a system similar to the [[Bemin]] was already in place.<ref>{{cite book|title=Kojiro Naoki talks about the ancient times 6: The formation of ancient states: from the Yuryaku dynasty to the Keitai and Kinmei dynasties|author=Kojiro Naoki|publisher=Yoshikawa Kobunkan|year=2009|pages=82–85|isbn=978-4-642-07887-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Emperor Yuryaku and His Era|author=Arikiyo Saeki|publisher=Yoshikawa Kobunkan|year=1988|pages=113–114|isbn=978-4-642-02145-6}}</ref> While the [[Eta Funayama Sword]] also apparently mentions the name "Waka Takiru", many characters on that sword are illegible possibly due to polishing by a Japanese sword sharpener at the end of the [[Taisho period]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tobunken.go.jp/ccr/pdf/34/pdf/03401.pdf|title=Regarding plasma preservation treatment of inlaid artifacts|author=((Conservation Science No. 34 (Conservation Science Research Center)))|publisher=Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties|year=1995|language=Japanese}}</ref> If Yūryaku's name can be corroborated to this sword then it can be interpreted that the power of the Great King had already extended from [[Kyushu]] to [[Eastern Old Japanese|Togoku]] by the latter half of the 5th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Detailed explanation of Japanese history|publisher=Yamakawa Publishing|year=2008|page=29|isbn=978-4-634-02522-6}}</ref>

There is no evidence to suggest that the title ''tennō'' (meaning "emperor") was used during the time to which Yūryaku's reign has been assigned. Instead, his title could have possibly been {{Nihongo|''Sumeramikoto'' or ''Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi''|治天下大王}}, meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven", or {{Nihongo2|ヤマト大王/大君}} "Great King of Yamato". The name Yūryaku''-tennō'' was more than likely assigned to him [[Posthumous name|posthumously]] by later generations.<ref name="name">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistoryjapanes00kikugoog|title=''A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the end of the Meiji Era''|author=Brinkley, Frank|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica Company|year=1915|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistoryjapanes00kikugoog/page/n33 21]|quote=Posthumous names for the earthly ''Mikados'' were invented in the reign of Emperor Kanmu (782–805), i.e., after the date of the compilation of the ''Records'' and the ''Chronicles.''|author-link=Francis Brinkley}}</ref> His name might have been regularized centuries after the lifetime ascribed to Yūryaku, possibly during the time in which legends about the origins of the imperial dynasty were compiled as the chronicles known today as the ''[[Kojiki]]''.<ref name="aston109 & 217-223">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_oEfAAAAYAAJ|title=Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, Volume 2|author=Aston, William George.|publisher=The Japan Society London|year=2008|orig-date=1896|page=109 & 217–223|isbn=9780524053478 |author-link=William George Aston}}</ref>

===King Bu===
[[File:History of Korea-476.PNG|thumb|200px|Goguryeo in 476 AD]]
It's theorized that Emperor Yūryaku may be synonymous with [[Bu of Wa|King Bu]] (武) as written in the Chinese records. According to the [[Book of Song]], Bu dispatched envoys to [[Emperor Shun of Song]] ([[Liu Song dynasty|a Southern Chinese dynasty]]) in both 477 and 478 AD. The first envoy was to inform the Chinese emperor that [[Kō of Wa|King Kō]] ([[Emperor Ankō]]) had died, and his older brother had become king.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vaSzIi_HQlsC|title=Gateway to Japan: Hakata in War and Peace, 500-1300|author=Bruce L. Batten|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|year=2006|pages=17–18|isbn=978-0-8248-3029-8 }}</ref> It is written that he called himself "King of [[Wa (name of Japan)|Wa]]", and the military commander of several different Kingdoms.<ref>{{cite book|title=East Asian Ethnic History 1 Official History of the Toiden|author=((Toyo Bunko 264))|publisher=Heibonsha|year=1974|page=309-313}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Wakokuden: Japan depicted in official Chinese history|publisher=Kodansha Academic Library|year=2010|page=117-123}}</ref> Its written that in the following year Emperor Shun appointed Bu the title of ''Grand'' ''Peacekeeper-General of the East''. The full context of this latter passage describes how Bu's ancestors conquered countries, and expanded their power to the east and west. It describes how they crossed [[Korea Strait|the sea]] to the north and reached the southern part of the [[Korean Peninsula]]. Although the kings of Wa repeatedly requested that the Emperors of the Song dynasty recognize their military control over [[Baekje]], their efforts were denied. The reason for this is thought to be that the Song dynasty placed importance on Baekje, which was located in a strategically important area. By not offering recognition the Song Emperors could put the [[Northern Wei]] in check, and avoid opposition from [[Goguryeo]] which was in conflict with Wa.<ref>{{cite book|title=Emperor Yuryaku and His Era|author=Arikiyo Saeki|publisher=Yoshikawa Kobunkan|year=1988|pages=26–27|isbn=978-4-642-02145-6}}</ref> Scholar [[Francis Brinkley]] notes that the power of the [[Koma clan]] (supported by the Liu Song dynasty) in Goguryeo increased steadily during this time. Brinkley suggests that Emperor Yūryaku's attempts to establish close relations with the Chinese Emperor seem to be from a desire to isolate Korea, which ended in failure.<ref name="Brinkley"/>

The other two recorded instances regarding King Bu are mentioned in the books of [[Book of Qi|Qi]], and [[Book of Liang|Liang]]. As compared to the former mention in 478 AD, these are not considered to be reliable.<ref name="Kawachi">{{cite book|title=The Five Kings of Wa: Throne Succession and East Asia in the Fifth Century|author=Haruto Kawachi|publisher=Chuoko Shinsho|year=2018|page=207-228|isbn=978-4-121-02470-1}}</ref> Japanese historian Mori Kimiaki points out that both of these appointments coincide with the founding year of their respective dynasties. This is thought to be an administrative matter, and it is not clear whether King Bu (Yūryaku) himself requested it or not.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Five Kings of Wa: 5th Century East Asia and the Statue of the Wa Kings|author=Mori Kimiaki|publisher=Yamakawa Publishing Co., Ltd.|year=2010|page=7-11|isbn=978-4-634-54802-2}}</ref> There is at least 1 theory that supports the envoy being sent to [[Southern Qi]] in 479 as being factual. This is solely based though, on the description in the title of {{Nihongo|''Shoban Shokugu Illustrated Scrolls''|諸番職貢図巻}} included in {{Nihongo|''Ainichi Ginro Sho Ga Zuroku''|愛日吟盧書画続録}}.<ref name="Kawachi"/> The fourth and final appointment allegedly made by King Bu (Yūryaku) falls outside of his recorded lifetime. As the ''Kiki'' states that Emperor Yūryaku died in 479, the last given year of 502 AD would be implausible.

===Gravesite===
While the actual site of Yūryaku's [[grave (burial)|grave]] is not known, this regent is traditionally venerated at a [[memorial]] [[Shinto shrine]] (''misasagi'') in [[Habikino, Osaka]]. As designated by the [[Imperial Household Agency]] as Yūryaku's [[mausoleum]], its formal name is ''Tajihi no Takawashi-no-hara no misasagi''.<ref name="kunaicho"/> Aside from this shrine in Osaka, there is another burial site named {{Nihongo|Kawachi Otsukayama Kofun|河内大塚山古墳}} where Yūryaku is a possible burial candidate. Those in doubt of this theory though, point to the construction style of the Kofun which may have begun several decades after Emperor Yūryaku's death. This has led some researchers to add [[Emperor Ankan]] as a burial candidate for the Kofun.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hiokiso Nishimachi Kiln System Haniwa and Kawachi Otsukayama Kofun|author=Yoshikazu Togawa|publisher=Haniwa Study Group|page=6|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Wa Kingship and the Anterior and Posterior Mounds|author=Naofumi Kishimoto|publisher=Hakushobo|year=2020}}</ref> Yūryaku is also enshrined at the [[Imperial Palace, Tokyo|Imperial Palace]] along with other emperors and members of the Imperial Family at the [[Three Palace Sanctuaries]]. He is additionally deified at the {{Nihongo|[[Katsuragi Ichigoshu Shrine]]|葛城一言主神社}} in [[Gose, Nara]].