n China before it fragmented into the Three Kingdoms (Stanley and Irving hkuhist2.hku.hk; Fairbank and Goldman 73). Additionally, according to the National Museum of Japanese History, Queen Himiko of Yamatai in Wa sent emissaries to Wei in one of the Three Kingdoms of China in 238 CE (www.rekihaku.ac.jp). These are the earliest known interactions between China and Japan.
Shortly after this began the Kofun period of Japan's history -- a time of militaristic leadership within an aristocracy that was beginning to pull Japan together into a unified whole. During this era military strategies were used that were similar to the horse-riding warrior cultures in Northeast Asia (Japan -- A country study lcweb2.loc.gov). In China's history, this was after the Han dynasty had disintegrated into the Three Kingdoms, when China's factions were still fighting one another and seeking reunification (Fairbank and Goldman 73). By 391 CE, Japan had unified enough to take control of the southern tip of Korea and had petitioned the Chinese Court for confirmation of royal titles. In addition, China recognized Japan's military control over parts of the Korean Peninsula. By 421 CE, the King of Wa began sending yearly tributes to China that continued for the next 50 years (National Museum. . . www.rekihaku.ac.jp; Japan . . .lcweb2.loc.gov). This was during a turbulent time in China's history known as the Six Dynasties and the Sixteen Kingdoms, as one ruler after another sought to gain control and unify China (Fairbank and Goldman 73). Although China's culture had some influence on Japan during these early contacts, there was not the conscious mass assi
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