Himiko and Yamatai: Yoshinogari vs Makimuku

Early Chinese histories record Queen Himiko's dealings with the Cao Wei kingdom, and their account of Wa begins on mountainous islands in the middle of the ocean. One of the countries it names is Ikikoku, on an archipelago east of the Korean Peninsula. Archaeologists tentatively identify it with Harunotsuji on Iki Island, a large Yayoi period settlement, which makes it a natural first stop on the way to Himiko's realm.

Location precision: The Wei Zhi gives no street address; Harunotsuji is only the tentative modern match for Ikikoku.

In 57 CE Emperor Guangwu of Han granted the state of Nakoku, in and around modern Fukuoka, an imperial gold seal. In 1784 two farmers found it on a hill that commands a view of Hakata Bay, on Shikanoshima island. The Wei Zhi still mentions Nakoku in the 3rd century, saying it contained over 20,000 homes, so the state was part of the Wa world of Himiko's time.

Location precision: The seal was found on the island's hill; the pin marks Kin-in Park area, and Nakoku itself spread around modern Fukuoka.

Visitor guidance: The seal itself can be seen in the Fukuoka City Museum.

Yoshinogari was a fortified Yayoi village that reached its peak around the 3rd century. A deep V-shaped moat about 2.5 km long enclosed some 40 hectares, and some excavated bones still held arrowheads. Its excavation caused a media sensation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with speculation that it could be the capital of Yamatai. That is the northern Kyushu theory, debated since the late Edo period. Most archaeologists, however, see no direct link between Yoshinogari and Yamatai.

Location precision: Yoshinogari is a famous candidate for Yamatai, but most archaeologists see no direct link.

The other main answer is Makimuku, at the foot of Mount Miwa in Sakurai, Nara. This settlement dates from the late 2nd to the 4th century and became a National Historic Site in 2013. One scholar notes it appeared suddenly at the start of the 3rd century as a very well planned settlement, and at least one in five residents is estimated to have come from outside the Yamato region. Some researchers see it as the centre of Yamatai, an idea not shared by all.

Location precision: Makimuku is one theory for Yamatai among others; the pin marks the excavated settlement area.

The Wei Zhi says that when Himiko died, a great mound more than a hundred paces across was raised and over a hundred attendants followed her to the grave. The Hashihaka Kofun, about 280 m long, is the leading candidate for that mound. One theory dates it to the middle or late 3rd century, close to the Wei Zhi's date of around 248 for her death, while others put it in the mid-4th century or later. The Imperial Household Agency manages it and entry is restricted.

Location precision: Whether this mound is Himiko's tomb is disputed, and the dating is uncertain.