# Hata clan

Hata clan was an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period (250–538), according to the history of Japan laid out in Nihon Shoki (720).

## Origins

The origin of the clan has been a debated topic for many Japanese historians and scholars.
Many have suggested different kingdoms of East Asia starting from Baekje, Qin Dynasty, Gaya to Silla.

### Ancient accounts
#### Baekje

The first mention of Hata clan was in Nihon Shoki, describing an immigrant clan (known as "Toraikei (渡来系)" in Japanese) arriving in Japan led by Yuzuki no Kimi from Baekje.
According to the Nihon Shoki, during the reign of Emperor Ōjin, Yuzuki no Kimi visited Japan from the Kingdom of Baekje where he stated that he had long wanted to emigrate to Japan, but the Kingdom of Silla would not permit him to do so. Having enjoyed the experience of meeting 120 people of his clan at Mimana. Yuzuki no Kimi left Japan but soon returned, in 283, with additional members of his clan "from 120 districts of his own land".
Some point out to the name of Yuzuki no Kimi being of Korean origin. According to Japanese linguists, "弓月君" could be a direct translation of "Kudara (くだら)" a unique name for Baekje in Japanese. In Old Korean, "弓月" could be read as "Kungdar (궁달)" using the Idu system, which is thought to have carried over to the Japanese language as being of Baekje descent as both words share the same pronunciation.

#### Qin Dynasty

Contrary to the accounts made in Nihon Shoki, the Shinsen Shōjiroku (814) claims that Yuzuki no Kimi, was allegedly a descendant of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. Thus the reason behind Hata being written with the character "Qin (秦)".

#### Gaya Confederacy

As mentioned in Nihon Shoki, Yuzuki no Kimi claimed he had 120 people in Mimana, a place name that points to the Gaya confederacy in Korea. Therefore, it has been theorized that the Hata clan had immigrated from Gaya rather than Baekje.

#### Silla

Though not directly stated in either Nihon Shoki or Shinsen Shōjiroku, modern Japanese scholars theorize Silla was the place of origin of the Hata clan.

### Modern analysis and accounts

After extensive research and historical analysis, Japanese historians have confirmed that the Hata clan originated from Silla and not any of the previously mentioned kingdoms. The city of Kyoto and Fushimi Inari-taisha (the shrine that officially commemorates the Hata clan) have publicly stated that "despite the ancient records being unreliable, it can be deduced that the Hata clan originates from the kingdom of Silla."
The first inaccuracy rises from the use of the character "Hata (秦)" as the character is not written in Nihon Shoki and is found only in Shinsen Shōjiroku when first mentioning Emperor Qin of China. Today, the clan believes that their character "秦" derives from Qin Shi Huang's family name of the same character. However, Japanese scholars pointed out that the name "Qin Shi Huang" was not the emperor's actual name, but was in fact "Yíng Zheng (嬴政)" using the ancestral name of the Yíng family, and believe that the clan misinterpreted "Qin" as the surname of the emperor when in fact, it was originally the name of the state. In addition, Hata clan had a previous name which was written as 波多 before incorporating the new character, further discrediting the "Qin-Hata" theory.
There are other examples where the name "波多" was used before the clan incorporated the new character. Takenouchi no Sukune, a Japanese general who had many connections to Silla, was referenced multiple times in Korean records revolving around the Silla-Wa War (新羅・倭戦争) while serving Empress Jingū, a descendant of a Silla prince Amenohiboko and someone who invaded Korea to reclaim her "promised land". Linguists such as Alexander Vovin even posited that he might have been a speaker of the Korean language and maybe even a foreigner himself. His son, Hata no Yashiro became a legendary figure of the Hata clan while it was still under "波多". Later, the use of "波多" was also carried on by another immigrant clan of Korean descent called "Sakanoue clan", the branch clan of Yamatonoaya clan, where Sakanoue no Ara (坂上阿良) formed his own separate clan using the same characters of Hata clan's original name, "波多".
The etymology of "Hata" is believed to be "Hada" (肌) meaning "skin" alluding to the silk produced by the immigrants, or "Hada/Hata" a Japanese translation of the Korean word "Pada (바다)" meaning "ocean" as they came across the seas. In Old Japanese, "Hada" would have sounded closer to "Pada" as the consonant "h" was pronounced as "p", and the word "Pada" in Korean is believed to be of Silla origin.
They were later given official titles ranging from "Toroshikō (登呂志公)", "Hatano Sakeno Kimi (秦酒公)" and "Uzumasa (禹豆満佐/太秦)" after being recognized as a legitimate clan of Japan.
It is thought that the misconception revolving around the origins of Jinhan (previous kingdom of Silla) being built by Qin Dynasty refugees, first mentioned in San Guo Zhi, was what caused the Silla immigrants to become descendants of the Qin Dynasty in Shinsen Shōjiroku (see History of Jinhan Confederacy). The book is also scrutinized by modern Japanese historians for putting some clans under "Kan (漢)" or "Han Dynasty" and not the three kingdoms of Korea, the same way it put Hata under Qin Dynasty instead of Silla. It also contradicts the claims made in Nihon Shoki (the first and oldest mentioning of Hata) that Yuzuki no Kimi was from Qin Dynasty and not Baekje without providing any substantial evidence. For further context, Nihon Shoki lacks any mentions of Qin when discussing about Hata.
Finally, excavations in Hata clan's whereabouts have been of Silla origin. It is also reinforced by the fact that the Miroku Bosatsu statue, "Hōkan Miroku (宝冠弥勒)" in Kōryū-ji, built by the Hata clan was made of woods from Silla (present day South Gyeongsang Province) and was gifted to Japan from Silla in 623 according to the Nihon Shoki.
It is believed that centuries after immigrants from Silla had settled, the author of Nihon Shoki accidentally credited them of Baekje origin (due to Japan's close relationship with Baekje at the time) by providing them a story that would give credence to their position as a Japanese clan. After another century later, when Emperor Saga ordered for a compilation of family names, under the misguided assumption that Silla (Jinhan) was of Qin's origin, it was recorded in Shinsen Shōjiroku that in turn, the Hata clan was originally from the Qin Dynasty. In return, it is thought that the descendants of the Hata clan sought for social influence during the publication of Shinsen Shōjiroku, and thus embraced the misinformed idea and self proclaimed themselves to be part of Qin Shi Huang's lineage which would have given the clan more credence for political dominance amongst other clans at the time.
Further research points to a specific area in Silla known as "Padan (파단/波旦)" read as "Hatan (はたん)" in Japanese, located in Uljin County as the origin of the Hata clan. According to a research published by Ritsumeikan University, the clan was indeed from Padan and their descendants settled in the Sagano area. Though the area does not exist today, it is mentioned in the Uljin Silla Stele, a stele that was erected during the Silla period. Padan is considered the most likely candidate of Hata clan's origin due to its similar pronunciation (Hatan-Hata) in Japanese while also sharing a character "波 (Ha)" within their respective names (in Hata clan's original name, 波多). In addition, the word "Padan/波旦" meant "ocean" in the Goguryeo language, a language that is considered Koreanic (same with the Silla language), which further supports the "Hata-Hatan-Ocean-Silla" theory.
Other evidence alludes to the foreign origins of the kami Inari, a deity that looks over foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success.
Scholars such as Kazuo Higo suggest that the foreign Hata clan began the formal worship of Inari as an agriculture kami in the late fifth century as the name "Inari" does not appear in classical Japanese mythology.
In addition, Fushimi Inari-taisha, the same shrine built by the Hata clan and one of the most influential shrines to officially celebrate the god Inari, also stated that the fox deity was most likely not of Japanese origin and had most likely arrived in Japan from the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula. It states that during the Three Kingdoms period, foxes were widely celebrated as gods and were deified as protectors of agriculture and prosperity due to the influence of Buddhism. This sentiment was later carried over to the Japanese archipelago by the Hata clan and other immigrant clans which arrived in Japan in the earlier centuries and was given the name "稲荷 (いなり)" in kanji which means "carrying rice", (literally "rice load") first found in the Ruijū Kokushi in 892 AD.

## Influence

The Hata were the most prominent inhabitants of the Kyoto basin at the time the area entered into history, in the 6th and 7th centuries. They had jurisdiction in present-day "Uzumasa (太秦/太秦)" found in "Kadono district (葛野郡)" within Kyoto.
The Hata are said to have been adept at financial matters, and to have introduced silk raising and weaving to Japan. For this reason, they may have been associated with the kagome crest, a lattice shape found in basket-weaving. During the reign of Emperor Nintoku (313-399), the members of the clan were sent to different parts of the country to spread the knowledge and practice of sericulture. Members of this clan also served as financial advisors to the Yamato Court for several centuries. Originally landing and settling in Izumo and the San'yō region, the Hata eventually settled in the areas where Japan's most important cities are now. They are said to have aided in the establishment of Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto), and of many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Fushimi Inari Taisha, Matsunoo Taisha, and Kōryū-ji. Emperor Yūryaku granted the clan the family name of Uzumasa in 471, in honor of Sakeno kimi's contributions to the spread of sericulture. Over the next few centuries, they were given the right to the status (kabane) of Miyatsuko, and later Imiki.
A number of samurai clans, including the Chōsokabe clan of Shikoku, the Kawakatsu clan of Tanba, and the Jinbō clan of Echigo province, claimed descent from the Hata. The Koremune clan, also allegedly descended from the Emperor of Qin, were related to the Hata as well. Prince Koman-O came to dwell in Japan in the reign of Emperor Ōjin (c. 310). His successors received the name Hata. This name was changed to Koremune in 880. The wife of Shimazu Tadahisa (1179–1227) (son of Minamoto no Yoritomo and ancestor of the Shimazu clan of Kyūshū), was a daughter of Koremune Hironobu.
The population of Neyagawa in Osaka Prefecture includes a number of people who claim descent from the Hata. The cities of Ōhata and Yahata are not directly related to Hata clan.
The Hata were also claimed as ancestors by Zeami Motokiyo, the premiere Noh playwright in history, who attributed the origins of Noh to Hata no Kawakatsu. According to Zeami's writings, Kōkatsu, the ancestor of both the Kanze and Komparu Noh lineages, introduced ritual dances to Japan in the sixth century; this form would later evolve into Okina and then into Noh. A more important influence upon the formation and the character of Noh is the Chinese Nuo rite. While sanyue (sangaku) and daqu influenced the development of Noh in terms of dramatic structure and presentation, the Nuo rite played a significant role in formulating Noh's religious and ritualistic character and features.
Uzumasa-no-Kimi-Sukune, one of the first clan heads, arrived during the reign of Emperor Chūai, in the 2nd century CE. According to the Nihon Shoki, he and his followers were greeted warmly, and Uzumasa was granted a high government position.

## Jewish ancestry theory

The hypothesis that the Hata clan were a Jewish Nestorian tribe was proposed by Saeki Yoshiro in 1908. Saeki developed a theory described by Ben-Ami Shillony as being "somewhat similar" to that advanced by Nicholas McLeod in 1879.
   In 1879, the Scottish businessman Nicholas McLeod who had lived in Japan since 1867 published a book in Nagasaki called Japan and the Lost Tribes of Israel. Based on "personal research and observation", the book claimed the Japanese as the descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes. Over thirty years later, in 1908, Saeki Yoshiro (better known as P. Y. Saeki) (1872-1965) published a book in which he developed a somewhat similar theory. According to Saeki, the Hata clan, which arrived from Korea and settled in Japan in the third century, was a Jewish-Nestorian tribe. Saeki's writings spread the theory about "the common ancestry of the Japanese and the Jews" (Nichiyu dosoron) in Japan, a theory that was endorsed by some Christian groups at the time.
There is no evidence available, including modern DNA analysis, to support this hypothesis. A recently published study of the genetic origins of Japanese people does not support a genealogical link as put forward by Saeki. Researcher and author Jon Entine emphasizes that DNA evidence excludes the possibility of significant links between Japanese and Jews. Much like Nissen dōsoron (lit. 'Theory on Japanese‑Korean Common Ancestry') and Nichiryū dōsoron (lit. 'Theory on Japanese‑Ryukyuan Common Ancestry'), the theory is believed to be part of a common trend that began in the 19th century Japan to trace a common ancestry with neighboring ethnic groups (ones that are genetically related to the Japanese the most). However unlike the aforementioned two, "the common ancestry of the Japanese and the Jews" theory is currently disregarded by both Japanese historians and scientists due to lack of historical and genealogical evidence.

## Hata Clan members of note

* Yuzuki no Kimi
* Hata no Kawakatsu