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It was during the Jomon era that Emperor Jimmu started the Yamato dynasty. According to legend, Emperor Jimmu was a direct descendent of the Sun Goddess.Until World War II,Japan’s emperors claimed roots extending back to Jimmu and the Sun Goddess. This divine right to rule existed for nearly 1,500 years. Today, the emperor still plays an important social role in Japanese society, although he no longer has political power.
Around 300 B.C., the Yayoi people replaced the Jomon. The Yayoi were from Southeast China and most likely left the mainland because they were fleeing the Chinese Han military. The name “Yayoi” comes from the area in Tokyo where archaeologists first discovered artifacts from this culture. The Yayoi fled China through Korea and settled in Japan where they mixed with the existing Jomon peoples. The Yayoi were not nomadic. Rather, they introduced and developed agriculture in various areas that were suitable to farming. With so much mountainous land, farmland was limited. But at the time, so was Japan’s population. Many small communities based on farming developed during this era. Most importantly, rice became a major crop during the Yayoi period.
The Kofun era followed the Yayoi. It is also known as the Yamato period. It began around 300 A.D. and lasted until 710 A.D. During the Kofun era, people built massive earth and stone tombs. The people came from China and Korea, bringing with them an advanced way of life and technology. They developed advanced social and political institutions. They also introduced Chinese and Korean cultural traditions to the islands. Some scattered Kofun settlements developed into small kingdoms. During this time, certain clans (groups of families) began to gain power. The most powerful of these clans was the Yamato.
During the Kofun era, the Koreans introduced the Chinese written language. Japan underwent other significant changes during this time.Yamato leaders developed new political institutions, created new social classes, and introduced Buddhism as the official religion. The area around Nara and Osaka blossomed into a center of political power with the rising fortunes of the Yamato clan. Most of Japan felt the influence of China and Korea. The Ainu people, however, remained separate. Eventually they moved northward to Hokkaido to distance themselves from the other cultures that were influencing Japan.
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