Nakoku - Na no Kuni

Japanese: 奴国 - なのくに

The name of a country that appears in the Gishi Wajinden. It can also be read as "Nakoku" or "Nukoku". The Wajinden shows the route from Korea to Yamataikoku, passing through Tsushima and Iki Islands and landing in Kitakyushu at "Mutsu-kuni" (later Matsuura County, Chikuzen Province), then "Itokuni" (corresponding to Ito County in the same province), and then "Na-koku". The entry for the 8th year of Emperor Chuai in the Nihon Shoki mentions "Nanoagata", and the entry for the 1st year of Emperor Senka mentions "Natsu", which is presumed to be the present-day Hakata region of Fukuoka Prefecture. The Wajinden also states that there were over 20,000 houses here, and that there were officials called "Shimako" and "Hinamori". A gold seal bearing the inscription "King of Na in Han" that was bestowed on the King of Wa by Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han Dynasty in 57 AD was discovered on Shikanoshima Island in Hakata Bay. However, there are many doubts about this gold seal.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

『魏志倭人伝』にみえる国名。「なこく」「ぬこく」とも読む。倭人伝では朝鮮から邪馬台国への行程が示され，対馬，壱岐の島を経て北九州へ上陸したところが「末盧国」 (のちの筑前国松浦郡) ，次が「伊都国」 (同怡土郡にあたる) ，次が「奴国」である。『日本書紀』仲哀天皇8年の条には「儺県 (なのあがた) 」，宣化天皇1年の条には「那津 (なのつ) 」がみえ，現在の福岡県博多地方と推定される。さらに倭人伝では，ここには二万余戸の家があり，「シマコ」「ヒナモリ」と称する官があったことが記されている。後漢の光武帝が 57年に倭王に授けた「漢委奴国王 (かんのわのなのこくおう) 」の印文のある金印が博多湾の志賀島から発見されている。ただこの金印についてはかなり疑問がもたれている。

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