Wa (倭)
倭 (Wa or Yamato) was the name used by Chinese dynasties to refer to the area centering the Japanese Archipelago and people living there since the days before Christ. People living in Wa were sometimes called Wajin. What Wa or Wajin refers to has changed over time.
From around the beginning of the first century to the end of the seventh century, political powers in the Japanese Archipelago called themselves Wa or Wakoku.
Etymology of Wa or Wajin
The Chinese character '倭' is composed of two parts meaning 'entrusting' and person, respectively.
Therefore, the meaning is to 'entrust and obey.'
There are several views about how people living in the Japanese Archipelago came to be called Wa or Wajin. 如淳, a government official of Wei dynasty (Three States Period), considered the custom of 'getting a tattoo on their faces (entrusting)' to be the origin of Wa, but Shinsan and Gan Shiko (Yan Shigu) denied the possibility because of such reasons such as the phonetic difference between 倭 and 委. The preface of "Koninshiki" of the early Heian period introduced a theory by someone regarding the origin of the name that Wajin called themselves 'Wa' (meaning 'I,' 'me' or 'we,' 'us' in Japanese). Since "Setsumon-kaiji" (Chinese classic dictionary) defines 倭 to mean obedience, Kanera ICHIJO said 'because Wajin were obedient in nature' ("Nihonshoki sanso"), and many Confucianists followed the theory in later ages. Junan KINOSHITA explained that "they were called Wa because they were little people (dwarfs)."
Hakuseki ARAI said in "Koshitsuwakumon" that 倭国 (in Chinese) is the phonetic translation of 'Okuni.'
So many theories including the above-mentioned have been created, but none have been proven.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, several glossaries called Insho (Chinese dictionary arranged by finals) were compiled, in which the reading of 倭 is 'wa' and 'wi' and 'wa' is said to be the name of a country in Tokai and 'wi' is said to be a word meaning obedience. Therefore, the meaning of the word Wa as a country name has been unknown since the ages of Sui and Tang Dynasties. "Nihonshoki Shiki"丁本 (The Private Record of Chronicles of Japan) also said that the origin of Wa is unknown. And Norinaga MOTOORI also said in "Kokugoko" that the origin of wa is unknown. Based on those references, some scholars think it appropriate to see the meaning of Wa unknown.
There is a discussion as to whether the Chinese character 倭 is an evil character. Some says 倭 does not necessarily imply an insult judging from the examples in "Sikyo" (Chinese Poetry book) (Shoga (aristocracy). But others says 倭 means iteki (barbarians) seen from China because the ominous character is used as in Himiko (first known ruler of Japan) and Yamatai Koku (Yamatai Kingdom).
Brief history
See Chinese literatures related to Wa or Wajin.
Ancient times
Description of 'Wajin' as seen in the Chinese literature "Ronko" (Discourses weighed in the balance). The literature mentioned that Wajin presented the King of Zhou with Choso (medicinal plants), which was possibly in the late 11th century B.C. under the reign of King Wu of Zhou at the earliest, or in the 10th century B.C. if it was during the time of King Cheng. The Japanese Archipelago was then in the late Jomon period or early Yayoi period, and some believe that trade between China and Japan began around that time, but since "Ronko" was written in the first century, it is generally considered that the book should be taken with caution.
There is a description in "Sengaikyo" (oldest topography of China), written sometime between the Warring States Period and Qin/Han Dynasty) that says Wa was obedient to Yan (Chunqiu period) which was in the northeast of China, therefore it is considered to be in the period from the sixth century to fourth century B.C. but some think the book should also be taken with caution.
In the period from the second century B.C. to around the beginning of the first century, Wajin paid tribute to the Former Han Dynasty on a regular basis and formed about 100 political groups (countries) ("Kanjo Chirishi" (Historical records of the Han Dynasty)). In the middle of the first century, 倭奴国, which is thought to have been located in northern Kyushu (the coast of Hakata Bay), paid tribute to the Later Han Dynasty ("Gokanjo" (Historical records of the Later Han Dynasty)), which is thought to indicate that Wajin political groups in Northern Kyushu were consolidated and 倭奴国 sent an envoy to the Later Han Dynasty as the representative. About 50 years later in the early second century, Suisho, the King of Wakoku, sent an envoy to the Later Han Dynasty. Suisho, who was the first Japanese person in history to appear in literature, called himself the King of Wakoku. The term 'Wakoku' also appeared for the first time then. In view of these records, it is considered that a political group called Wakoku representing Wa or Wajin were formed at that time.
From around that time till the very end of the seventh century, the political powers representing and consolidating Wa or Wajin continued to call themselves 'Wakoku.'
(Please refer to "Wakoku" for more details.)
After the days of Sisho, Himiko in the early third century was also given the title of Shingi Wao (the king of Wa) by the Wei Dynasty (Three States Period). It is considered that kings of the Yamato Dynasty, which was supposedly established in mid or later third century, externally called themselves the King of Wa or the King of Wakoku, and in fact, Shoo (princes without imperial proclamation) who were actively involved in friendly relations with Chinese Dynasties from the late fourth to late fifth century called themselves the King of Wakoku (The five kings of Wa). According to the description in the "Zuisho" (the Book of the Sui Dynasty), the Japanese envoy to Sui Dynasty in 607 used the expression 'the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises' instead of the King of Wa. There is a view that they dared not use the term Wa in an attempt to have relations with China on an equal footing. However, this had a great impact on relations with China, and they again called themselves Wa thereafter.
After Kudara (Baekje, Paekche) was overthrown in 660, Wakoku fought the Battle of Hakusonko (Battle of Baekgang) against Tang and Shiragi (ancient Korean kingdom) in an attempt to resuscitate Kudara, but ended up in defeat. Following this failure, aspirations to develop a domestic system and nationalistic powers rapidly intensified in Wakoku. Amid this, the construction of a new state system, the Ritsuryo system steadily advanced and by the very end of the seventh century, Taiho Ritsuryo (Taiho Code) which defined the new form of government was completed, and in or around 701just before the enforcement of the ritsuryo, Wa or Wakoku was renamed Nippon or Nihon. After that, the main political powers in Japan stopped calling themselves Wa.
Shintojo (New Book of Tang) ("Tojo" (Book of Tang)) and Kutojo ("Old Tang History") have records in relation to the change of the name, which says the name was changed to Nippon in disgust of the name, Wa. Both books mentioned that 'Nippon, which used to be a small country, annexed Wakoku' and this description is generally considered to be the reference to the Jinshin War, in which Emperor Tenmu ruined the Omi Dynasty of the Emperor Kobun.
In the clause of December, 670 of Shilla Hongi (History of Shilla), "Samguk Sagi" (History of the Three Kingdoms), a history book of Korean Peninsula, there is a description that says 'Wakoku was renamed Nippon because the land is close to the place where the sun rises.'
Even after that, 'Wa' was sometimes used to refer to Japan domestically, but since the mid-Nara period, '和,' which has the same pronunciation but has a positive meaning, came in use along with 倭 and gradually became the mainstream.
Middle ages
Afterward from the middle ages to the early-modern times, '倭' was sometimes used to refer to the Yamato race by Chinese (please refer to "wako" (Japanese pirates) as an example).
In that case, it was a vague name generally referring to 'the people coming from the land including Ryukyu and Taiwan separated by the eastern sea of China.'
After the middle ages, other than Wa (koku) and Nippon, Fuso and Toei were also used.
Descriptions of 'wa' and '倭奴' can be found in domestic literatures and history books at the ages of Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty in Korean Peninsula, and some people says that is the express of contempt for Japan by Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty.
Modern times
Wa' is no longer used officially but is sometimes used as a contemptuous meaning in the Chinese Republic, Korean Republic and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. To stress the sense of contempt, Wako in China and Wenomu in the South and North Korea are used.
Different opinion
There is a theory of Kyushu Dynasty which says the government representing Japan was located in Kyushu from before Christ to the end of seventh century called Wi or Tawi, but this lacks much evidence.