The Yamato State`s View of Koguryoin the Late 6th Century
This paper intends to study how the Yamato State viewed Koguryo by analyzing Nihonsho-ki that records the relationships between the Yamato State and Koguryo. The diplomatic transaction between the two countries was possible as a result of the changes in Far Asia that the collapse of Great Gaya in 562 and the unification of China by Su in 589 brought. Meanwhile, the analysis of Nihonsho-ki produced the findings as follows. At first, a series of unfortunate events happened between the Yamato State and Koguryo. Second, it is not possible to find in Nihonsho-ki any active effort that Koguryo made to open a diplomatic relationship with the Yamato State. Third, very interestingly, the Yamato State far better treated the Koguryo ambassadors than the counterparts of Shilla or Baekjae. It reflects the Yamato State was desperate in its view of and its diplomatic relation with Koguryo.
Based on these characteristics, a series of articles in Nihonsho-ki do not obviously evidence the beginning of the formal relation between Koguryo and the Yamato State. In addition, it seems more valid to say that the Yamato State was active in the diplomatic transaction with Koguryo, not because it was in a desperate need of the strategic affiliation with Koguryo, but because the collapse of Kaya put the Yamato in a trouble with importing the advanced cultures of the continent.