Yamato Province
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Yamato (大和? "great harmony") or Yamato no kuni (大和国? "great harmony country") was one of the historical Provinces of Japan, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū.
The Yamato Period in the History of Japan refers to the late Kofun period (ca. 250-538 CE) and Asuka period (538-710 CE). Japanese archaeologists and historians emphasize the fact that during the early Kofun period the Yamato chieftainship was in close contention with other regional powers, such as Kibi Province near present-day Okayama Prefecture. Around the 6th century CE, the local chieftainship gained national control and established the Imperial court in Yamato Province.
Yamato was semantically extended to mean "Japan; Japanese" in general, and in that sense is referred to as "Great Yamato". Some examples are
- Yamato people "the predominant ethnic group in Japan"
- Yamato-damashii "the nationalistic 'Japanese spirit'"
- Yamato Nadeshiko "the idealized Japanese woman"
- Yamato-e "classical Japanese painting"
- Yamato "a World War II battleship"
The Ryukyuans sometimes use this name in contrasting mainland Japan with Okinawa Prefecture. In the Okinawan language, Yamato is called "Yamatu".
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