Togoku _??__??_ and Saigoku _??__??_

Abstract

This is an attempt to clarify the legal meaning of Togoku _??__??_ and Saigoku _??__??_. Only the meaning of the two names as used before the middle of the 10th century is considered.
Togoku is a geographical name, for which the word "Azuma" was used in old Japanese. But it is my opinion that the word also denoted the indepent state which existed in rivalry with the dynasty in Yamato in the third centry A. D. at the latest, and that this state was mentioned as Kuna-no-kuni _??__??__??_ in the book of Gishi (Wei-chih _??__??_) which, I believe, corresponds to Kenu-no-kuni in the old Japanese records. The political significance of the Taika Reformation lies also in that the dynasty in Yamato amalgamated Kenu-no-kuni.
The word Saigoku was not used before the sixth century A. D.. But there is no doubt as to the fact that northern Kyushu assumed an important position politically. The book of Kanjo (Han-shu _??__??_) records that there were more than 100 small states in the first century B. C.. But already before the year 57 A. D., a country called Na-no-kuni _??__??_ must have conquered all of them, according to Gokanjo (Hou-han-shu _??__??__??_).The same book says, I think, that Ito-no-kuni _??__??__??_ took the place of Na-no-kuni before 107 A. D.. The area ruled by Ito-no-kuni culturally belonged to the zone commonly called the bronze-sword bronze-halberd zone. There was another cultural zone centering around Yamato. The latter is called the bronze-taku zone. A trend of unification of the two zones arose in the latter half of the second century A. D. The two cultural zones were actually united by Queen Himiko _??__??__??_ of Yamatai-no-kuni _??__??__??__??_. This is believed to be the foundation of Japan as a state.