Research on the Seven Princes of King Kim Su-ro of Gaya is considered a key to unlocking the secrets of the Gaya people's overseas expansion and the origins of Japanese history.
This is because evidence has been discovered that the seven princes, after attaining enlightenment at the Seven Buddha Temple in present-day Jirisan Mountain, crossed the sea to Japan and established the second Gaya Kingdom. Southern Kyushu in Japan is where people from the ancient Korean Peninsula first settled, and ancient Japanese culture also originated here. In the southern part of Kyushu, on the Satsuma Peninsula, there is an astonishing stone monument known as the “Birthplace of Japan.”
The records of the seven princes of King Kim Su-ro of Gaya are the key to
the secrets of Gaya's overseas colonization and Japanese creation history
Hwandan Gogi Book Concert, Pukyong National University, Part 1
It was erected near the palace of the heavenly deity Ninigi, whom the Japanese consider their progenitor. According to mythology, Ninigi descended to Takachiho with his brother, Hikohoho, and his sister, Himehime. They went to Karakuni Mountain in Korea and said, “This is a good place because it faces Karakuni.” This passage evokes the connection between the Korean Peninsula's Gaya and the heavenly descendants. According to scholars, the figure of Ninigi in the Japanese heavenly descent myth was modeled after Gaya's Ilgobangja. Evidence of this can be found on the Satsuma Peninsula.
The name of this coast, which resembles the Mongdol Beach in Geoje Island, is said to come from the rough sea path where the gods crossed over, hence the names Kuro or Kamawatari. Two old stone monuments stand on the coastal cliffs. These are monuments commemorating the landing of the heavenly descendant Ninigi at this coast. But why did Ninigi, who had descended to the summit of Takachiho Peak, choose to land on this remote and rugged coast? It was because the seven princes of Gaya had migrated to Kyushu, as recorded in the Tenjin-kōrin.
Ara Taisei, who has studied ancient East Asian exchange history and the Tenjin-kōrin myth in Japan for the past 30 years, explains in his book. The seven princes of King Kim Su-ro all crossed over to Japan, settled in Kagoshima in southern Kyushu, absorbed the local forces, built defensive mountain fortresses, and developed the Kokubu Plain. They expanded their power based on rice farming, gained control over the entire Kyushu region, and established a confederation of kingdoms called Gun'yū-koku.
Araya Eisai's claim aligns with the domestic scholars' theory of the “Japan Crossing Theory,” suggesting that the fertile land where the seven mountain forts were established lies at the point where the water flowing from the Korean-origin Kirishima Mountain (1,700 meters above sea level) in the southern central part of Kyushu meets the sea. This is precisely where the seven princes of King Kim Suro settled over 1,900 years ago.The seven mountain fortresses of Shichikuma were established there. The taste of Kiris is superior to that of white rice, and Mukashi Nabetto is delicious, not because it is made with tomato sauce.
The term “kuma” in Tomikuma, which means ‘bear’ in Japanese, was given because the people who migrated from the Korean Peninsula had a much larger build than the indigenous people. Therefore, the seven mountain forts built by the seven princes were called Shichikuma, meaning “seven bears.” However, it is said that the seven mountain forts were originally spread out in a fan-shaped pattern north of the Kokubu Plain, using a different character with the same pronunciation as “kuma.”
At its center was Kumaso Castle, which served as the headquarters. It appears that the seven castles were constructed to facilitate defense by uniting in times of emergency. Thus, the Kokubu region was the second Gaya Kingdom built by the seven princes, as suggested by its name “seven kingdoms.” The traces of the seven princes can be found in the seven shrines known as Nanayashiro scattered around Kirishima, some of which have such an ancient history that their founding dates are unknown. The existing shrines are precious historical sites where one can feel the breath of the seven princes. In this way, Kyushu, filled with the remnants of the seven princes from Gaya, is truly a living museum of Gaya history.