Himiko

, also known as , was a shamaness-queen of Yamatai-koku in . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom (220–265) and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler following decades of warfare among the kings of Wa. Early Japanese histories do not mention Himiko, but historians associate her with legendary figures such as Empress Consort Jingū, who is said to have served as regent from 201 to 269. Scholarly debates over the identity of Himiko and the location of her domain, Yamatai, have raged since the late Edo period, with opinions divided between northern Kyūshū or traditional Yamato Province in present-day Kinki. The "Yamatai controversy", writes Keiji Imamura, is "the greatest debate over the ancient history of Japan." A prevailing view among scholars is that she may be buried at Hashihaka Kofun in Nara Prefecture. Historical references The shaman Queen Himiko is recorded in various ancient histories, dating back to 3rd-century China, 8th-century Japan, and 12th-century Korea. Chinese sources The first historical records of Himiko are found in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese classic text dating to . However, rather than Records of the Three Kingdoms, Japanese scholars use the term of , a Japanese abbreviation for the account of Wajin in the "Biographies of the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Dongyi", Volume 30 of the "Book of Wei" of the Records of the Three Kingdoms. This section is the first description of Himiko (Pimiko) and Yamatai: