The first female historical figure in prehistoric Japan was Himiko, or Pimiku by the Chinese, who was recorded to exist in the second century CE also placed in the Yayoi period. Her existence was documented in the History of the Kingdom of Wei by Wei Zhi in 297 CE. It is said that in that time, Japan was not unified; instead, there were many chiefdoms that were warring with each other. However the internal strife ended when Queen Himiko united the nation under her rule. It is said that the queen is a shaman who secluded herself after she became a ruler with one thousand female attendants and her brother whom helped Himiko rule the nation. Himiko was believed to have practice magic and sorcery, furthermore, she remained unmarried until her death in 250 CE. Upon Queen Himiko’s death, a great mound was built for her, and it is speculated to be in Kyushu, and this ritual of burying continued till Emperor Suinin time that the ritual ended.…show more content… There is no male figure that superseded Queen Himiko during her time. It is known that polygamy existed in premodern Japan, so men had many wives. Despite the existence of polygamy in early Japan, a form of matriarchal power was there, when a man and woman married, the wife usually stayed with her family. The husband would visit the wife, or move into the wife’s family. In the late Yayoi period, women had a lot of power, and were treated with immense respect. This is shown when Queen Himiko died, a male figure took over her rule, however, the people of Yamatai were unhappy so they reinstated a relative of Himiko, a young girl named