Emishi

Ezo (Japanese虾 夷) outdated, Yezo, is a altjapanischer name for the people of eastern and northern Japan, which was regarded by the Yamato Japanese as another people. In ancient times, the people either Emishi or Ebisu (deprecated Yemishi or Yebisu ) was called.

Since the late Heian period, the people of Ezo was called. Over time, however, changed the meaning of this term.

Emishi

The oldest description of the Emishi is located in the Nihon Shoki, the oldest history book in Japan. The book by the Emishi inhabitants in the East, who were at enmity with the Yamato government ( Yamato Yamato Chōtei or Oken ). Your sphere of influence extended as far as eastern Honshu. But it is not yet established whether this description corresponds to historical facts.

A major campaign was 658-60 in the Japanese Sea to Tsugaru place under the command of Abe no Hirafu. Destination was the rich fishing grounds and the extraction of kombu seaweed - which still belong in every Japanese soup stock. Even gold was discovered in the year 749 in Mutsu, which you wanted to acquire. Emperor Kammu ( 781-806 ) had realized the conscription for the campaign of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 794-806 in Tohoku. ( In theory, were one-third of all fully taxable men for military service obligation, but levies were rare. )

Around the 7th century settled the Emishi in the Tōhoku region north of the center of the present-day Miyagi to today's Yamagata Prefecture and Hokkaido. The more the Yamato government expanded its power to the north, the more often fought the Emishi to their habitat. The Emishi, which capitulated to the Yamato government were called Fushu. These were some of the few survivors to lasting shortly after 800 extermination campaigns this Jomon and Kofun people. Despite the partial surrender and forced offshore resettlement Emishi continued to fight against the Yamato. Usually they traded with the Japanese. Trade goods were Riementang, horses, furs, feathers, etc. In return, they received rice, cloth, iron, etc.

In the 9th century, the conquests of the Yamato kingdom ended in the middle of the present-day prefectures of Akita and Iwate. However, officials of the Yamato government and tribal chiefs of the Fushu interfered in the internal disputes of the Emishi. As a result, lost the Emishi their independence during the 12th century.

Ezo

After the Edo period are conflicting scientific theories about the Emishi.

The first theory is indeed influential, but it is not scientifically controversial. Especially in older literature applies Emishi = Ainu, which is not sustainable.

Since the Middle Ages Ezo means the same as Ainu. History confirm the existence of Ezo, today's Ainu, since the 13th century. Since this time, Hokkaidō either Ezo -ga- shima (蝦夷ヶ島, island of Ezo ) or Ezochi (虾 夷 地, Ezo- country) called.