Toraijin () refers to the people who came to Japan from mainland Asia in ancient times, as well as their descendants. Up until the 1960s, these people were commonly called the "Kikajin", meaning "naturalized people", but beginning in the 1970s, the term was replaced by "Toraijin", meaning "people who have crossed over" as not all those who came to Japan became naturalized. They arrived in Japan as early as the Jōmon period or Yayoi period, and their arrival became more significant from the end of the 4th century (Kofun period) to the late 7th century (Asuka period). During these periods, they introduced Confucianism, Buddhism, Chinese characters (Kanbun/Kanji), Kampo, lunar calendar, and cultural practices such as Sue pottery production and weaving to Japan. They were favored by the Yamato Kingship, and many were appointed to government positions.
In the initial wave starting approximately three thousand years ago, the Toraijins introduced wet-rice farming to the archipelago, where the indigenous Jōmon people were engaged in subsistence based primarily on fishing, hunting, and gathering. During the middle-Yayoi period from approximately 350 BCE to 50 CE, Toraijins arrived with bronze technology. 20th century anthropologists such as Torii Ryūzō stated that " the Stone Age in Japan and that in Korea are very similar. The similarities are so outstanding that we can say their relationship was like that of cousins, if not of a parent and child, or siblings" in his book Yūshi izen no Nihon (有史以前の日本/Japan before History) highlighting a close connection between the Japanese and the Koreans even during the Prehistory periods due to the major overlap of immigrants.
During the formative 5th and 6th centuries, they brought horse breeding and horse driven transportation, stoneware pottery, high temperature iron-working, advanced iron tool manufacturing, and their Chinese-based writing system. In addition to technological and cultural contributions, Toraijins also brought the ideologies of Confucianism and Buddhism from the mainland, which were critical to the state formation and socio-cultural changes during the Kofun period and Asuka period.
According to modern Japanese researchers, in each major epoch in Japanese history, Toraijins arriving from the Korean peninsula acted as transmitters and transplanters of advanced continental technology and culture to the Japanese archipelago, just as the population groups on the Korean peninsula experienced similar transformations with the arrival of millet and rice agriculture, bronze and iron objects and technologies, and culture and religion from further west and north in the continent.
These immigrants settled and re-established themselves as farmers, iron technicians, horse breeders, merchants and traders, dam builders, craftsmen, among others, earning them the name "Imaki no Tehito (今來才技, “recently arrived skilled artisans”)" in the Nihon Shoki. Groups arriving from the peninsula have settled in and formed communities in various parts of the archipelago, including Fukuoka in northern Kyushu to Okayama on the Inland Sea, to the Kyoto–Osaka– Nara area, to Gunma north of Tokyo, and as far as Sendai in northeastern Honshu. Once fully settled on the Japanese Archipelago, these immigrants became known as "Kikajin", or "naturalized immigrants". While migrants initially settled in Kyushu due to geographic proximity to the peninsula, by the fourth century, migrants had shifted their destination to the Kinki region, the core base of the Yamato elites, of Nara, Osaka, Kyoto, and Otsu region.
Anthropologist Torii Ryūzō also recounted the attires worn by Toraijins during Kofun period stating " the customs, including love of swords, skills in bow and arrows, tied hair, beads decorations, long sleeves and baggy pants, leather boots, and daggers on the belt, are exactly what you can find in early northeast Asia. The same can be said about their arrows with feathers and whistling arrowheads." Torii labeled the previous Yayoi group as the "earthly tribe kunitsu" of Japan while labeling the newly introduced Kofun group as the "heavenly tribe amatsu". This sentiment was carried over by a fellow anthropologist, Kita Sadakichi
20th century linguist, Shōzaburo Kanazawa
National Museum of Nature and Science held a special exhibition in May 2025 that revolved around the genetic makeup of the Japanese surrounding specific periods. The director of the museum stated that the majority of the relics found during the Kofun period bore heavy resemblance with those found in Korea. He also emphasized that the immigrants who brought new technology entered after the late-Yayoi period and are considered as main contributors to the modern Japanese people's genetic makeup.
In the 7th century, exiles from Baekje, which had been defeated at the Battle of Baekgang, entered Japan. The technology and culture brought by the Toraijins contributed to the advanced development of Japan at that time.平野邦雄『帰化人と古代国家』吉川弘文館、2007年、p.2 Toraijins occupied an important position in the military and political affairs of the Yamato regime due to their advanced skills in arms manufacturing, weaving, and agriculture. They also made significant contributions to the development of Japanese culture.
Influential Toraijin clans with imperial ties included the Tajima clan (多遅摩氏) of Silla descent, as well as Kudara no Konikishi clan and Yamato no Fuhito clan, both of Baekje descent. During the 3rd or 4th century, Amenohiboko, a prince from Silla and also a Toraijin, immigrated to Japan and became the ancestor to Empress Jingū while founding the Tajima clan. Early in the eighth century, Lady Takano no Niigasa, a member of the Yamato no Fuhito clan and a descendant of Muryeong of Baekje, married Prince Shirakabe (the future Emperor Kōnin) and gave birth to Yamanobe in 737 in Nara, who was enthroned in 781 and became Emperor Kanmu.
Other representative Toraijin groups of the 4th and 5th centuries were the Hata clan and the Kawachinofumi clan (西文氏). These Toraijins possessed superior technology and ability, and were fundamental to Japan's nation-building. The Hata clan is descended from Yuzuki no Kimi, who came from Silla on the Korean Peninsula around the 4th or 5th century. Yuzuki no Kimi came to Kyushu with 30,000 to 40,000 laborers from 127 prefectures. They served the Yamato royal court as officials in charge of finances. His headquarters was originally located in Yamaboshi, Kyoto, but he later moved to Uzumasa (Kyoto City). Along with their activities in the center of Japan, the descendants of the Hata extended their influence nationwide, from Owari and Mino to Bicchu and Chiku.
Suspected individuals:
The current consensus in regards to Toraijin population estimation is highly debated.
Hanihara argued that more than 3 million (3025 people/year) immigrated to the Japanese archipelago between 300 BC–700 AD. In addition, based on estimates from studies of Senzuka (cemeteries of “thousand tombs”) belonging to the Toraijins from the southwestern Korean peninsula and their descendants, Shinichirō Ishiwatari postulated that at least a million people from the peninsula arrived in the archipelago just during the 125 years between 475–600 CE.
However, the hypothesis of a very large number of migrants coming to the Japanese archipelago, as represented by Hanihara and Ishiwatari, was criticized by later simulation studies (Nakahashi and Iizuka 1998, 2008) with Aoki and Tuljapurkar (2000) estimating a smaller number of migrants (around 50 to 100 migrants/year).
Recently, there is a shift from finding population estimates to finding the number of waves that entered Japan, as deducing an exact number across several millennia is deemed less feasible. The waves are identified through genetics, anthropology, and linguistics.
For scientific analysis of the Japanese people's ancestry, see Genetic and anthropometric studies on Japanese people.
Asuka period
Notable Toraijin clans
Famous Toraijin figures
Population estimates
Genetics
See also
|
|