<Articles>The Horse-Riding in Ancient Japan

最近、騎馬民族の征服によつて日本の國家が設立されたという説が學界をにぎわしたが、この説自身には問題の國家設立の時期決定について、整理されていない矛盾がある。考古學上から乘馬の風習を實證しりる遺物の上限を求めると、それは五世紀以前に遡ることがきわめて困難であり、その普及は五世紀後葉以後のことと考えられる。その傍證を書紀に求めると、こゝでも馬に關する記事は主に五世紀以後の記述にあらわれ、四世紀までの記事はほとんど疑わしいものである。しかも、五世紀代のわが國の馬具が南鮮のものと同一型式に屬しているように、ほゞ信ずるに足る馬に關する記事は、まず朝鮮との交渉を述べた文中に見出される。すなわち上代日本における乘馬の風習は當時の南鮮出兵を通じて、騎馬民族と直接間接に接触した結果、はじめてわが國にもたらされたものであり、その普及には相當の期間を要したのである。もちろん騎馬民族による日本の國家の設立はありえない。Recently the theory has been proposed, and much discussed, that the establishment of the ancient Japanese State was achieved through conquest by a horse-riding race, but this theory seems to contain a chronological difficulty with regard to the birth of the ancient Japanese State. From the archaeological point of view the upper chronological limit of the horse-riding practice in Japan can hardly been placed prior to the 5th century, A.D., and the spread of the practice seems to have been later than the 6th century. Documental evidence from the Nihon Shoki also indicates that most of the references to horses in it appear in connection with events happened after the 5th century, and that those mentioned in connection with events happened before the 4th century seem to be doubtful ones. Just as archaeological evidence shows that the horse-equipment and trappings of 5th century Japan belong to the same pattern with those found in South Korea, so trustworthy documental evidence with regard to the horse-riding practice in Japan appears only in connection with Japan's communications with Korea. Horse-riding was introduced for the first time into Japan through contact with continental horse-riding peoples in Korea where the Japanese had been sending expeditionary forces, and the horse-riding practice in this island country took considerable time to spread. Such a theory as the establishment of the ancient Japanese State by an invading riding people is an utter fallacy