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Japan: Empress Jingu (c. 169 - 269 CE), consort to Emperor Chuai, she also served as Regent (209-269). Wood carving by Ko-Kaku (fl. 14th century), Hatimangu Shrine, Shimane prefecture, c. 1326. Photo by Reiji Yamashina (CC BY-SA 3.0 License)

Wood carving of Empress Jingu dated 1326, Hatimangu Shrine, Shimane prefecture. Consort to Emperor Chuai, she also served as Regent from the time of her husband's death in 209 until her son Emperor Ōjin acceded to the throne in 269.No firm dates can be assigned to this historical figure's life or reign. Jingū is regarded by historians as a "legendary" figure because of the paucity of information about her. Legend has it that she led an army in an invasion of Korea and returned to Japan victorious after three years. However, this theory is widely rejected even in Japan as there is no evidence of Japanese rule in any part of Korea. Some believe that Empress Jingū's conquest is only based on the Gwanggaeto Stele (in Jilin, China). But the legend of Jingū's invasion of the Korean peninsula also appears in the ancient Japanese chronicles Kojiki written in 680 and Nihon Shoki written in 720.