The , which is Japanese for "falcon-people", were a people of ancient Japan who lived in the Satsuma and à Âsumi regions of southern Kyushu during the Nara period. They frequently resisted the Yamato Kingship.
After their subjugation, they became subjects of the government under Ritsuryà Â, and the Ministry of the Military maintained an office known as the responsible for their governance. The name also came into use by samurai as a title, .
In modern times, Hayato is a Japanese male given name.
The Hayato might have been the same as the Kumaso group of around the same time, but while the Kumaso are mentioned in the more legendary portions of the Nihon Shoki, the Hayato are recorded in various historical texts until the beginning of the Heian period. Though the Kumaso are generally portrayed as rebellious, the Hayato are listed among the attendants of emperors and princes from as early as Emperor Nintoku's reign. This, along with a mention of Hayato crying before the grave of Emperor Yà «ryaku after his death, suggests that the Hayato were naturalized as personal servants by the late 7th century.
Even after pledging allegiance to the Japanese court, the Hayato continued to resist its rule. After the establishment of à Âsumi Province in 713, the à Âsumi Hayato fought back in 720 with the Hayato rebellion, but were defeated in 721 by an army led by à Âtomo no Tabito. The Handen-Shà «ju system was implemented in their lands in 800. The population of Yamato immigrants in Kagoshima Prefecture in the early 8th century has been estimated at approximately 9000, one-seventh of the total population. By this estimate, the Hayato population of the time can be calculated as consisting of around 54,000 people, not including Hayato emigrants to Honshà «.
The Hayato were compelled to emigrate to the Kinai and were active in protecting the court, the arts, sumo, and bamboo work. Many lived in Yamashiro Province, in the south of modern Kyoto. There remains an area called in Kyà Âtanabe, Kyoto, where many à Âsumi Hayato lived. These were the Hayato governed by the Hayato-shi.
The language spoken by the Hayato is not known, except for two words and several personal names documented in contemporary sources. In the à Âsumi Fudoki, an ancient Japanese text from the 8th century, two words from the Hayato language can be found: kusera (Man'yà Âgana: 习西è¯) and pisi (Man'yà Âgana: å¿ å¿Â). Kusera probably means "comb". Although the meaning "head hair" was suggested as well, the gloss 髪梳 âÂÂhead.hair combâ in the à Âsumi Fudoki strongly suggests the first meaning. The comparison with Old Japanese kusi (modern Japanese kushi æ«Â) and Reconstructed Ryukyuan *kusi suggests borrowing from local Kyushu Old Japanese, as indicated by the diminutive suffix -ra. The second word, pisi 'shoal' is probably a native Hayato word. It suggests a common origin with adjacent languages for this word when compared with proto-Ryukyuan *pisi, proto-Ainu pis ("shore"), and Eastern Old Japanese pîâ¿zió. Despite efforts by some scholars, such as Kakubayashi in 1998, to associate these words with the Austronesian language family, the dominant perspective holds that the Hayato language was related to the Japonic languages. Nonetheless, it is thought to have diverged early from the languages spoken on the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu.
Their culture is also believed to have been unique to other regions of Japan. In particular, their folk song and dance became famous in the Kinai region as the . An excavation of Heijà  Palace discovered wooden shields with a distinctive reverse-S-shaped marking. These shields match those described in the Engishiki, which the Hayato used in court ceremonial functions. The Hayato performed roles in various state ceremonies, including those for the New Year, imperial enthronement, and the visitation of foreign officials.
According to the Fudoki of Hizen Province, the Gotà  Islands were also inhabited by a people resembling the Hayato. The New Book of Tang describes a minor king of , and this Haya has also been interpreted as referring to the Hayato.
There are three types of graves archaeologically associated with the Hayato: the widely distributed around the border of Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, the of the southern Satsuma peninsula, and the found north of the Satsuma peninsula. Another large group of tunnel tombs is located near the à Âsumi area of Kyà Âtanabe. Because of their proximity and because the area's gravelly soil is unsuitable for such tombs, these may also be associated with the Hayato.
In Japanese mythology, the deity Umisachihiko is considered the ancestor of the ruler of the Ata Hayato. The Hayato Dance may be intended to portray Umisachihiko's pain at being outdone by his younger brother Yamasachihiko.
Anthropological research on human skeletons of the Kofun period on southern Kyushu has shown that male skeletons found inland differ from those on the Miyazaki plain. Inland skeletons resembled those of JÃ Âmon people and northwestern Kyushu Yayoi people, and some groups on the plain also resembled northern Kyushu Yayoi people. Additionally, skeletons excavated from late Yayoi-period ruins on Tanegashima are smaller than those found on Kyushu, and show signs of artificial cranial deformation.