Aya clan

Japanese scholars have indicated that the Aya clans were all related and that they were generally classified under the same ethnic group. These mainly included: the Yamato no Aya clan, the Kawachi no Aya clan, and the Ayahito clan. It is said that the Yamato no Aya clan, the Kawachi no Aya clan, and the Ayahito clan, though not from the same founder, were ethnically related, most likely all immigrating from Paekche. The Kawachi no Aya clan, in particular, is thought to be related with the Yamato no Aya clan. Yamato no Aya clan also had a related clan called the Sakanoue clan (the clan that Sakanoue no Karitamaro hails from) which was once part of the bigger and more influential Yamato no Aya clan, but later broke off to form a clan of their own. After the formation of the clans, the next immigrants were mainly called "Imaki no Ayabito (今来漢人/新漢人)" lit. 'Korean people who have just arrived'. In recent times, the character for "Aya (漢)" is analogous with the ancient Han dynasty, hence why the character is heavily associated with China today. However, looking at the character's etymology, it is believed to have been used more leniently than its modern equivalent.