An Examination of Himiko, Queen of Wa

Where did Queen Himiko rule, and how should the ancient journey to her capital be understood? In this 1910 essay, Shiratori Kurakichi examines the account of the Wa people in the History of Wei, comparing its distances, directions, travel times, officials, and household figures with other historical records.

Earlier scholars proposed routes along different coasts of Kyūshū or identified the queen with Empress Jingū. Shiratori surveys their arguments, questions the handling of Kuna in the Book of the Later Han, and develops his own geographical interpretation. His investigation then turns to royal names, genealogies, female chiefs, ritual authority, and the relationship between historical traditions and Japanese myth.

This complete translation preserves the essay’s quoted itineraries, competing interpretations, numerical comparisons, textual variants, and final conclusion. Concise notes distinguish provisional name readings and source claims from the author’s deductions. The writing remains an encounter with an early twentieth-century historical argument, including its imperial language, gender assumptions, and religious outlook.