List of Japanese classic texts
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Japanese classic texts. These classical works of Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...

 are grouped by genres in a chronological order.

Buddhism

  • Sangyō Gisho
    Sangyo Gisho
    The , literally "Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras," is the title of three annotated commentaries on important Buddhist sutras: , , and .-Hokke Gisho:...

    • Shōmangyō Gisho (611)
    • Yuimagyō Gisho (613)
    • Hokke Gisho (615)
  • Gangōji Garan Engi
    Gangoji Garan Engi
    , often abbreviated to Gangōji Garan Engi, is a Japanese Buddhist text. It is one volume in length and was compiled by an unnamed Buddhist monk in 747.-Contents:...

     (747)
  • Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki
    Shin'yaku Kegonkyo Ongi Shiki
    The is a Japanese annotation of the Avatamsaka Sūtra. Dated to 794, it is the oldest Japanese ongi, or collection of difficult to interpret words showing their pronunciation and meaning, and is a National Treasure of Japan.-Background:...

     (late Nara period)
  • Sangō Shiiki
    Sango Shiiki
    is a dialectic allegory written by Kūkai in 794. It is Japan's oldest comparative ideological critique.At the time of writing, Kūkai was 24 years old. It is his debut work.-Contents:...

     (794)
  • Ōjōyōshū
    Ojoyoshu
    The was an influential medieval Buddhist text composed in 985 by the Japanese Buddhist monk Genshin. Three volumes in length and in kanbun prose, the text expounds on Pure Land Buddhist thought, with emphasis on methods to attain rebirth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha, drawing upon earlier...

     (985)
  • Senchaku Hongan Nenbutsushū
    Senchakushu
    The , abbreviated to Senchakushū, is the magnum opus of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo-shū school of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. The title means "Passages on the Selection of the Nembutsu in the Original Vow" and draws upon past Pure Land Buddhist sources, sutras and especially from the writings of...

     (1189)
  • Shōbōgenzō
    Shobogenzo
    The term Shōbōgenzō has three main usages in Buddhism: It can refer to the essence of the Buddha's realization and teaching, that is, to the Buddha Dharma itself, as viewed from the perspective of Mahayana Buddhism, it is the title of a koan collection with commentaries by Dahui Zonggao, and it...

     (mid 13th century)
  • Kyogyoshinsho
    Kyogyoshinsho
    , often abbreviated to , is the magnum opus of Shinran Shonin, the founder of the Japanese Buddhist sect, Jodo Shinshu. The work was written after Shinran's exile, and is believed to have been composed in the year 1224...

     (Kamakura period)
  • Tannisho
    Tannisho
    The , also known as the Lamentations of Divergences, is a late 13th century short Buddhist text generally thought to have been written by Yuien, a disciple of Shinran...

     (late Kamakura period)
  • Denkoroku
    Denkoroku
    , written by Keizan Jokin Zenji in 1300, is a kōan collection of 53 enlightenment stories based on the traditional legendary accounts of the Zen transmission between successive masters and disciples in the Sōtō Zen Buddhist lineage from Shakyamuni Buddha to Japanese Zen Master Ejō, a first...

     (late Kamakura period)

Confucianism and philosophy

  • Go Rin no Sho
    The Book of Five Rings
    is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its...

     1645
  • Fudōchi Shinmyōroku
    The Unfettered Mind
    is a three-part treatise on Buddhist philosophy and martial arts written by Takuan Sōhō, a Japanese monk of the Rinzai sect. The title translates roughly to "The Mysterious Records of Immovable Wisdom". The treatise was written as correspondence to Yagyū Munenori, inheritor to the Yagyū...

     (unknown)
  • Rongo Shitsuchu (1600)
  • Okina Mondō (1641)
  • Daigaku Kuwakumon (1655-1658)
  • Seikyo Yoroku (1665)
  • Shugi Washo (1673)
  • Gomo Jiki (1683)
  • Banmin Tokuyo (early 16th century)
  • Santokushō (early 16th century)
  • Dojimon (1704)
  • Shugi Gaisho (1709)
  • Rongo Kogi (1712)
  • Yojokun (1713)
  • Seiyō Kibun
    Seiyo Kibun
    The is a 3-volume study of the Occident by Japanese politician and scholar Arai Hakuseki based on conversations with Italian missionary Giovanni Battista Sidotti....

     (1715)
  • Bendo (1717)
  • Benmei (1717)
  • Oritaku Shiba no Ki
    Oritaku Shiba no Ki
    is an autobiographical text written by Japanese Edo-period scholar-official Arai Hakuseki . It describes Arai’s ancestors, his childhood, and his work as an official of the Tokugawa government, providing an invaluable perspective on the Tokugawa government of his day.-Title:Hakuseki does not...

     (started on 1716), finished before the writer's death on 1725)
  • Seidan (written between 1716-1736)
  • Tohi Mondo (1739)
  • Shutsujo Kougo (1744)
  • Shizen Shineido (partially published between 1751-1764)
  • Kokuiko (1765)
  • Naobinomitama (1771)
  • Gengo (1775)
  • Sobo Kigen (1788)
  • Uiyamabumi (1799)
  • Shutsujo Shogo (1811)
  • Rangaku Kotohajime http://www.thehumanbrainproject.com/doc-dawnofwesternscience0.html (1814)
  • Kyukeidan (1815)
  • Yume no Shiro (1820)
  • Kodo Taii (1824)
  • Tsugi (completed on 1832, published on 1847)
  • Senshin Dosakki (1833)
  • Kyuo Dowa (1835)
  • Jurinhyo (1836)
  • Genshi Shiroku
    • Genshiroku (1824)
    • Genshi Koroku (1838)
    • Genshi Banroku (1850)
    • Genshi Tetsuroku (1852)
  • Komo Yowa (1855)
  • Ugen (1855)
  • Bimiyu Genko (mid 19th century)
  • Ninomiyaou Yowa (late 19th century)

Diary

  • Nittō Guhō Junreikōki
    Ennin's Diary: The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law
    is a four volume diary written by Ennin, a Japanese Buddhist monk in China during the ninth century. He was one of eight Japanese Buddhists who studied in China at that time. He wrote his diary while he went on a Buddhist pilgrimage to China for nine and a half years . The books are translated...

     (836-847)
  • Kanpyō Gyoki
    Kanpyō Gyoki
    The or is a diary written in variant Chinese by Emperor Uda. It is the oldest extant Japanese court diary. Together with and it comprises the collection known as . Uda's diary is valued as a source of information on court practices during his reign and about the antagonism between him and the...

     (887-897), written by Emperor Uda
    Emperor Uda
    was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....

  • Teishin Kōki (908-948), written by Fujiwara no Tadahira
    Fujiwara no Tadahira
    was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.He is also known as Teishin-Kō or Ko-ichijō Dono or Ko-ichijō daijō-daijin.-Career:...

  • Tosa Nikki (c. 935), written by Ki no Tsurayuki
    Ki no Tsurayuki
    was a Japanese author, poet and courtier of the Heian period.Tsurayuki was a son of Ki no Mochiyuki. He became a waka poet in the 890s. In 905, under the order of Emperor Daigo, he was one of four poets selected to compile the Kokin Wakashū, an anthology of poetry.After holding a few offices in...

  • Kagerō Nikki
    Kagero Nikki
    is a classical piece of Japanese literature from the Heian period that falls under the genre of nikki bungaku, or diary literature. Written around 974, the author of Kagerō Nikki is a woman who is only known by the title of Mother of Michitsuna...

     (c. 974)
  • Midō Kampakuki (998-1021), written by Fujiwara no Michinaga
    Fujiwara no Michinaga
    represents the highpoint of the Fujiwara regents' control over the government of Japan.-Early life:He was the fourth or fifth son of Fujiwara no Kaneie by his wife Tokihime, daughter of Fujiwara no Nakamasa...

  • Gonki (991-1017), written by Fujiwara no Yukinari
    Fujiwara no Yukinari
    was a Japanese calligrapher during the Heian period. He was memorialized for his prowess in his chosen art by being remembered as one of the outstanding Three Brush Traces , along with Ono no Michikaze and Fujiwara no Sukemasa.-Life:...

  • Shōyūki (982-1032), written by Fujiwara no Sanesuke
    Fujiwara no Sanesuke
    , also known as Go-Ono no Miya , was fourth son of Fujiwara no Tadatoshi. He became udaijin in 1021, and lived to be ninety. He became adopted heir of his grandfather Saneyori, the head of Ononomiya family , and he inherited vast estate and documents of Ononomiya family...

  • Izumi Shikibu Nikki (1008), written by Izumi Shikibu
    Izumi Shikibu
    was a mid Heian period Japanese poet. She is a member of the . She was the contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, and Akazome Emon at the court of Joto Mon'in.-Early life:...

  • Murasaki Shikibu Nikki (The Murasaki Shikibu Diary
    The Murasaki Shikibu Diary
    The Diary of Lady Murasaki records the daily life of the Heian era lady-in-waiting and writer, Lady Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji...

    ) (1008-10)
  • Sarashina Nikki
    Sarashina Nikki
    The is a memoir written by Lady Sarashina , a lady-in-waiting of Heian-period Japan. Her work stands out for its descriptions of her travels and pilgrimages and is unique in the literature of the period, as well as one of the first in the genre of travel writing...

     (1020-59)
  • Shunki (1038-54), written by Fujiwara no Sukefusa
  • Tokinoriki (1075-1108), written by Taira no Tokinori
  • Gonijō Moromichi-ki (1083-99), written by Fujiwara no Moromichi
    Fujiwara no Moromichi
    , son of Morozane, was a kugyo during the late Heian period. He was a head of the Fujiwara clan and served as kampaku and udaijin. He was also known as Go-nijyo dono or Nijyo-kampaku...

  • Chūyūki (1087-1132), written by Fujiwara no Munetada
  • Heihanki (1132-71), written by Taira no Nobunori
  • Taiki (1136-55), written by Fujiwara no Yorinaga
    Fujiwara no Yorinaga
    , of the Fujiwara clan, held the position of Imperial Palace Minister of the Right.Born in 1120, Yorinaga ascended quickly through the political ranks achieving formidable office by the age of 17...

  • Gyokuyō (1164-1200), written by Fujiwara no Kanezane
    Fujiwara no Kanezane
    , also known as , is the founder of the Kujō family , although some sources cite Fujiwara no Morosuke as its founder....

  • Meigetsuki (1180-1235), written by Fujiwara no Teika
    Fujiwara no Teika
    Fujiwara no Teika , also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie or Sada-ie, was a Japanese poet, critic, calligrapher, novelist, anthologist, scribe, and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods...

  • Heikoki (1196-1246), written by Taira no Tsunetaka
  • Sanuki no Suke Nikki, written by Fujiwara no Chōshi
  • Towazugatari (1271-1306), written by Go-Fukakusa In no Nijō
  • Izayoi Nikki (c. 1283), written by Abutsuni
  • Nakatsukasa no Naishi Nikki (1280-92), written by Fujiwara no Tsuneko
  • Entairyaku (1311-60), written by Tōin Kinkata
  • Hanazono Tennō Shinki (1310-32), written by Emperor Hanazono
    Emperor Hanazono
    Emperor Hanazono was the 95th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

  • Kanmon Nikki (1416-48), written by Prince Sadafusa
  • Sakkaiki (1418-48), written by Nakayama Sadachika
  • Chikamoto Nikki (1465-86), written by Ninagawa Chikamoto
  • Tokikuni Kyōki (1474-1502), written by Yamashina Tokikuni
  • Sanetaka Kōki (1474-1536), written by Sanjōnishi Sanetaka
  • Nobutane Kyōki (1480-1522), written by Nakamikado Nobutane
  • Tokitsugu Kyōki (1527-76), written by Yamashina Tokitsugu
  • Uwai Kakuken Nikki (1574-86), written by Uwai Satokane
  • Tokitsune Kyōki (1576-1608), written by Yamashina Tokitsune
  • Tamonnin Nikki (1478-1618), written by Eishun and others
  • Honkō Kokushi Nikki (1610-33), written by Ishin Sūden
    Ishin Suden
    also known as Konchiin Sūden, was a Zen Rinzai monk and advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and later to Tokugawa Hidetada and Iemitsu on religious matters and foreign affairs...


Dictionary, Encyclopedia

  • Tenrei Banshō Meigi
    Tenrei Bansho Meigi
    The is the oldest extant Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. The title is also written 篆隷万象名義 with the modern graphic variant ban for ban ....

     (830-835)
  • Shinsen Jikyō
    Shinsen Jikyo
    The is the first Japanese dictionary containing native kun'yomi "Japanese readings" of Chinese characters. The title is also written 新選字鏡 with the graphic variant sen for sen ....

     (898-901)
  • Wamyō Ruijushō
    Wamyo Ruijusho
    The is a 938 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. The Heian Period scholar Minamoto no Shitagō began compilation in 934, at the request of Emperor Daigo's daughter...

     (934)
  • Ruiju Myōgishō
    Ruiju Myogisho
    The , alternatively misread as Ruijū myōgishō, is a Japanese dictionary from the late Heian Period. The title, sometimes abbreviated as Myōgishō, combines the ruiju from the Wamyō Ruijushō and the myōgi from the Tenrei Banshō Myōgi...

     (1081-1100)
  • Iroha Jiruishō
    Iroha Jiruisho
    The is a 12th century Japanese dictionary of Kanji . It was the first Heian Period dictionary to collate characters by pronunciation rather than by logographic radical or word meaning .The Iroha Jiruishō has a complex history involving editions of two, three,...

     (1144-65)
  • Jikyōshū
    Jikyoshu
    The was a circa 1245 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. The "Mirror of Characters" title echoes the Shinsen Jikyō, and the internal organization closely follows the Ruiju Myōgishō....

     (c. 1245)
  • Kagakushū
    Kagakushu
    The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444 Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters arranged into semantic headings. The title alludes to Confucius's self-description in the Lunyu: 下学而上達 "My studies lie low, and my penetration rises high." The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444...

     (1444)
  • Setsuyōshū
    Setsuyoshu
    The was a popular Muromachi Period Japanese dictionary collated in iroha order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word setsuyō means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the Lunyu...

     (1469-87)
  • Onkochishinsho
    Onkochishinsho
    The was the first Japanese dictionary to collate words in the now standard gojūon order. This Muromachi Period dictionary's title uses a Classical Chinese four-character idiom from the Lunyu:...

     (1484)
  • Wagokuhen
    Wagokuhen
    The was a circa 1489 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. This early Muromachi Period Japanization was based upon the circa 543 CE Chinese Yupian , as available in the 1013 CE Daguang yihui Yupian . The date and compiler of the Wagokuhen are uncertain...

     (c. 1489)
  • Nippo Jisho
    Nippo Jisho
    The Nippo Jisho or Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam was a Japanese to Portuguese dictionary published in Nagasaki, Japan in 1603. It contains entries for 32,293 Japanese words in Portuguese. Only four copies of the original 1603 edition exist...

     (1603)
  • Wakan Sansai Zue
    Wakan Sansai Zue
    The is a Japanese encyclopedia published in 1712 in the Edo period. It consists of 105 volumes in 81 books. Its compiler was Terashima or Terajima , a doctor from Osaka. It describes and illustrates various activities of daily life, such as carpentry and fishing, as well as plants and animals, and...

     (1713)

Fable and novel

  • Suigakuki (late Nara period)
  • Nihon Ryōiki
    Nihon Ryoiki
    is an early Heian period setsuwa collection. Written by Kyōkai between 787 and 824, it is Japan's oldest collection of Buddhist setsuwa. It is three volumes in length.-Title:...

     (810-824)
  • Yamato Monogatari
    Yamato Monogatari
    is a collection of tales and waka poetry from the Heian period of Japan. The exact date of the completion of the text is unknown, but it majority of the text was completed in the year 951 by an unknown author...

     (956)
  • Sanpō Ekotoba (984)
  • Nihon Ōjō Gokurakuki (985-986)
  • Taketori Monogatari (early 10th century)
  • Utsubo Monogatari
    Utsubo Monogatari
    is a late 10th century Japanese story. It is Japan's oldest full-length narrative.-Composition:The author is unknown. Minamoto no Shitagō is cited as a likely candidate; however, it may have had multiple authors spanning a number of years. The text is referenced in number of later works such as...

     (c. 989)
  • Genji Monogatari (c. 1008)
  • Honchō Hokke Genki (1040)
  • Ise Monogatari (early Heian period)
  • Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari
    Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari
    , also known as , is an eleventh century Japanese monogatari that tells about a chūnagon who discovers his father has been reborn as a Chinese prince. He visits his reincarnated father in China and falls in love with the Hoyang Consort, consort to the Chinese Emperor and mother to his reincarnated...

     (late Heian period, late 11th century)
  • Kohon Setsuwashū (late Heian period)
  • Sagoromo Monogatari (late Heian period)
  • Torikaebaya Monogatari
    Torikaebaya Monogatari
    , translated into English as The Changelings, is a Japanese tale from the late Heian period by an unknown author, or possibly more than one author. It is four volumes in length....

     (late Heian period)
  • Yoru no Nezame
    Yoru no Nezame
    is a c. 11th century Japanese story. It is one of the major representative Heian period texts. It is a courtly romance and belongs to the tsukuri monogatari genre.-Composition:...

     (late Heian period)
  • Heichū Monogatari
    Heichū Monogatari
    Heichū Monogatari , also known as the Heichū Nikki or Sadafun Nikki is a mid Heian Period Japanese poem tale Authorship unknown. It is believed to have come into existence between 960-965 AD. In total there are 39 sections to this tale. The construction of these tale revolves around the...

     (Heian period)
  • Honchō Shinsenden (Heian Period)
  • Ochikubo Monogatari
    Ochikubo Monogatari
    , also known as The Tale of Ochikubo, is a story from the Heian period which is similar to the famous fairy tale Cinderella.Ochikubo Monogatari was written during the later part of the 10th century by an unknown author. It is known as the oldest remaining tale in Japanese literature to include...

     (Heian period)
  • Godansho (1104-1108)
  • Uchigikishū (1134?)
  • Matsuuramiya Monogatari (1193?)
  • Konjaku Monogatarishū
    Konjaku Monogatarishu
    is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian period . The entire collection was originally contained in 31 volumes, of which only 28 remain today...

     (early 12th century)
  • Tsutsumi Chūnagon Monogatari
    Tsutsumi Chunagon Monogatari
    is a post late-Heian period Japanese collection of short stories.-Authorship:With the exception of one story, the authorship is unknown. It is likely each story was written by different authors at various times and later collected together into a single text....

     (late 12th century)
  • Hobutsushu (early Kamakura period)
  • Hosshinshū (early Kamakura period)
  • Sumiyoshi Monogatari
    Sumiyoshi Monogatari
    is a late 10th century Japanese story. Along with Ochikubo Monogatari, it is representative of Japanese Cinderella-type literature dealing with stepmother bullying and harassment. It belongs to the tsukuri monogatari genre.-Composition:...

     (early Kamakura period)
  • Takamura Monogatari
    Takamura Monogatari
    is a late Heian period Japanese short story. The author is unknown. The text is also known as , , and .-Contents:The text is composed of two short stories. The protagonist is based Ono no Takamura....

     (late Heian to early Kamakura period)
  • Uji Shūi Monogatari
    Uji Shui Monogatari
    is a collection of Japanese tales written around the beginning of the 13th century. The author is unknown, and it may have been revised several times....

     (early Kamakura period, early 13th century)
  • Ima Monogatari (mid Kamakura period, after 1239)
  • Towazugatari (late Kamakura period)
  • Iwashimizu Monogatari (Kamakura period)
  • Koke no Koromo (Kamakura period)
  • Senjoshū (Kamakura period)
  • Jikkunshō (1252)
  • Kokin Chomonjo (1254)
  • Shasekishū
    Shasekishu
    The , also read as Sasekishū, translated into English as Sand and Pebbles, is a five-volume collection of Buddhist parables written by the Japanese monk Mujū in 1283 during the Kamakura period. It is popularly excerpted in English in 101 Zen Stories....

     (1283)
  • Otogizōshi
    Otogizoshi
    refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period . These illustrated short stories, which remain unattributed, together form one of the representative literary genres of the Japanese medieval era.-Overview:This type of short prose narrative...

     (collected from Muromachi to Edo period)
  • Kazashi no Himegimi
    Kazashi no Himegimi
    , also known as , is a Japanese Muromachi period story. It is one volume in length, and the text is accompanies with illustrations. The author is unknown....

     (Muromachi period)
  • Seisuishō (1628)
  • Isoho Monogatari (Azuchi Momoyama period)
  • Ugetu Monogatari
    Tales of Moonlight and Rain
    is a collection of nine independent stories, written by Ueda Akinari, first published in 1776, adapted from Chinese ghost stories. It is considered to be among the most important works of Japanese fiction of the 18th century, the middle of the Edo period...

     (1776)
  • Ukiyoburo
    Ukiyoburo
    is a Japanese novel written by Shikitei Sanba between 1809 and 1813. It belongs to the kokkeibon genre, of which it is one of the masterpieces.-Contents:...

     (1809-1813)
  • Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige (1802-1814)

Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

, Shogi
Shogi
, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...

  • Igoshiki (1199)
  • Shōgi Zushiki (1636), written by Ōhashi Sōko
  • Sho Shōgi Zushiki (1694)
  • Shōgi Rokushu no Zushiki (unknown)
  • Igo Hastuyōron (1713)
  • Shogi Kenshoku (1804)

History

  • Jūshichi-jō Kenpō
    Seventeen-article constitution
    The is, according to Nihon Shoki published in 720, a document authored by Prince Shōtoku in 604. It was adopted in the reign of Empress Suiko. The emphasis of the document is not so much on the basic laws by which the state was to be governed, such as one may expect from a modern constitution, but...

     (604)
  • Kokki
    Kokki
    , alternatively known as Kuni tsu Fumi and literally meaning "National Record", is a historical text purported to have been written in 620 by Shōtoku Taishi and Soga no Umako. It is recorded in the Nihon Shoki, but there are no known extant copies...

     (620)
  • Tennōki
    Tennoki
    , alternatively known as Sumera Mikoto no Fumi, is a historical text purported to have been written in 620 by Shōtoku Taishi and Soga no Umako. It is recorded in the Nihon Shoki, but no extant copies are known to exist....

     (620)
  • Ōmiryō
    Omi Code
    The are a collection of governing rules compiled in 668AD, hence being the first collection of Ritsuryō laws in classical Japan. These laws were compiled by Fujiwara no Kamatari under the order of Emperor Tenji....

     (668)
  • Teiki
    Teiki
    The is a historical text purported to have been compiled in 681. The text is no longer extant.-Background:According to the Nihon Shoki: On the seventeenth day, the emperor, residing in his place in the Daigokuden, commanded Prince Kawashima, Prince Osakabe [etc...] to record a definitive edition...

     (681)
  • Asuka Kiyomihara Ritsuryō
    Asuka Kiyomihara Code
    The refers to a collection of governing rules compiled and promulgated in 689, one of the first, if not the first collection of Ritsuryō laws in classical Japan...

     (681-689)
  • Iki no Hakatoko no Sho
    Iki no Hakatoko no Sho
    , literally "The Document of Iki no Hakatoko", is a historical Japanese record written by Iki no Hakatoko. Composed late in the 7th century, the record is primarily known for being used as a reference in the composition of Nihon Shoki as well as for being the oldest Japanese travel record...

     (late 7th century)
  • Taihō Ritsuryō
    Taiho Code
    The was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito...

     (701)
  • Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Teisetsu
    Jogu Shotoku Hoo Teisetsu
    , also read as Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Taisetsu, is a biography of Shōtoku Taishi. It is one scroll in length and is a National Treasures of Japan.-Background:...

     (c. 710)
  • Kyūji
    Kyuji
    , also known as and , is an ancient Japanese historical text. Its existence is recorded in the Kojiki which claims to have been composed based on its contents...

     (< 712)
  • Kojiki
    Kojiki
    is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...

     (712)
  • Yōrō Ritsuryō
    Yoro Code
    The was one iteration of several codes or governing rules compiled in early Nara period in Classical Japan. Major work on the Yōrō Code was completed in 718....

     (718)
  • Nihon Shoki
    Nihon Shoki
    The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...

     (720)
  • Fudoki
    Fudoki
    are ancient records of the culture and geography of provinces of Japan. They contain agricultural, geographical, historical and mythological records, as well as folklore.Compilation of Fudoki began in 713 and was completed over a 20-year period....

     (712-733?)
    • Hitachi Fudoki (715)
    • Harima no Kuni Fudoki (715)
    • Bungo no Kuni Fudoki (>732)
    • Izumu no Kuni Fudoki (733)
  • Tōshi Kaden
    Toshi Kaden
    , commonly abbreviated as Kaden, is a Japanese biographical record of the Fujiwara clan. Compiled by Fujiwara no Nakamaro and Enkei, it was completed between 760 and 766. It is two volumes in length.-Contents:...

     (c. 760-766)
  • Takahashi Ujibumi
    Takahashi Ujibumi
    is a historical clan record of the Takahashi clan. It served as an appeal for court arbitration between clan fighting.The author is unknown, but the contents suggest that it was composed prior to 789. The text only survives today in fragments quoted in other texts such as , , and .Both the...

     (c. 789)
  • Shoku Nihongi
    Shoku Nihongi
    The is an imperially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the Six National Histories, coming directly after the Nihon Shoki and followed by Nihon Kōki. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as the primary editors...

     (797)
  • Kogo Shūi
    Kogo Shui
    is a historical record of the Inbe clan. It was composed by Inbe no Hironari in 807.-Background:Historically, both the Inbe and Nakatomi clans had long performed religious services for the court. However, at the beginning of the Heian period, the Fujiwara clan, whom the Nakatomi clan are a branch...

     (807)
  • Shinsen Shōjiroku
    Shinsen Shojiroku
    is an imperially commissioned Japanese genealogical record. Thirty volumes in length, it was compiled under the order of Emperor Saga by Princes Manda, Fujiwara no Otsugu, Fujiwara no Sonohito et al. It was initially completed in 814, but underwent a revision to be recompleted in 815.-Contents:The...

     (815)
  • Nihon Kōki
    Nihon Koki
    is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 840, it is the third volume in the Six National Histories. It covers the years 792-833.-Background:...

     (840)
  • Shoku Nihon Kōki
    Shoku Nihon Koki
    is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 869, it is the fourth volume in the Six National Histories. It covers the years 833-850.-Background:...

     (869)
  • Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku
    Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku
    , abbreviated as Montoku Jitsuroku, is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 879, it is the fifth text in the Six National Histories series...

     (879)
  • Ruijū Kokushi
    Ruiju Kokushi
    is a historical text that categorizes and chronologizes the events listed in the Six National Histories. It was compiled by Sugawara no Michizane and completed in 892. The text was commissioned by Emperor Uda.-Contents:...

     (892)
  • Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku
    Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku
    , abbreviated as Sandai Jitsuroku, is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 901, it is the sixth and final text in the Six National Histories series. It covers the years 858-887.-Background:...

     (901)
  • Engishiki
    Engishiki
    -History:In 905 Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of a new set of laws. Fujiwara no Tokihira began the task, but work stalled when he died four years later in 909. His brother Fujiwara no Tadahira continued the work in 912 eventually completing it in 927...

     (927)
  • Eiga Monogatari
    Eiga monogatari
    is a Japanese monogatari, or epic, which relates events in the life of courtier Fujiwara no Michinaga. It is believed to have been written by a number of authors, over the course of roughly a century, from 1028 to 1107....

     (late Heian period
    Heian period
    The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

    )
  • Okagami
    The Great Mirror
    The Great Mirror or Ōkagami is a Japanese historical tale by an unknown author that covers from 850 to 1025, the golden days of Fujiwara family's rule. It is said to be a succession to records of Eiga Monogatari....

     (late Heian period
    Heian period
    The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

    )
  • Kuji Hongi (Heian period)
  • Shōmonki (c. 940)
  • Fusō Ryakuki (12th century)
  • Imakagami
    Imakagami
    is a Japanese historical tale written in the late Heian period. According to its preface, it was written in the reign of Emperor Takakura and 2nd year of Kaō or 1170. The book is credited to Fujiwara Tametsune. It is the second of the four mirror series and is about years following...

     (c. 1170 and 1178)
  • Mizukagami (late 12th century)
  • Hogen Monogatari (1220?)
  • Azuma Kagami
    Azuma Kagami
    The , or "mirror of the east", is a Japanese medieval text that chronicles events of the Kamakura Shogunate from Minamoto no Yoritomo's rebellion against the Taira clan in Izokuni of 1180 to Munetaka Shinnō and his return to Kyoto in 1266...

     (late 13th century)
  • Shaku Nihongi
    Shaku Nihongi
    is an annotated text of the Nihon Shoki. Compiled by Urabe Kanekata between 1274 and 1301, it is 28 volumes in length.-Contents:The 28 volumes are divided into seven sections:*volume 1: a commentary introducing the material of the text...

     (late 13th century)
  • Genpei Seisuiki (late Kamakura period)
  • Jinnō Shōtōki
    Jinno Shotoki
    is a Japanese historical book written by Kitabatake Chikafusa , a court noble in the Nanboku-chō period. The work sought both to clarify the genesis and potential consequences of a contemporary crisis in Japanese politics, and to dispel or at least ameliorate the prevailing disorder.The text...

     (1339?)
  • Heike Monogatari
    The Tale of the Heike
    is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...

     (1371)
  • Masukagami
    Masukagami
    is a Japanese historical tale written in the early Muromachi period believed to be between 1368 to 1376. The author is not known but is believed to be Nijō Yoshimoto. It is the last of four works of mirror series and follow most recent events....

     (1374?)
  • Taiheiki
    Taiheiki
    The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....

      (late 14th century)
  • Baishōron (Muromachi period)
  • Gikeiki
    Gikeiki
    The is a Japanese gunki monogatari that focuses on the legends of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his followers. Considered to have been composed during the Nanboku-chō period, it has provided inspiration to numerous Noh, kabuki and bunraku plays...

     (Muromachi period)
  • Sandaiki (early Muromachi period)
  • Soga Monogatari (early Muromachi period)
  • Meitokuki (late Muromachi period)
  • Gukanshō
    Gukansho
    is a historical and literary work about the history of Japan. Seven volumes in length, it was composed by Buddhist priest Jien of the Tendai sect c. 1220....

     (1465)
  • Oninki (late 15th century)
  • Shinchoki (1600?) - Commonly called Shinchokoki
  • Shinchoki (1604)
  • Mikawa Monogatari (1625-1626)
  • Nihon Ōdai Ichiran
    Nihon Odai Ichiran
    is a 17th century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings.According to the 1871 edition of the American Cyclopaedia, the translation of Nihon Ōdai Ichiran in 1834 was one of very few books about Japan; and it was...

     (1652)
  • Taikōki
    Taikoki
    The is a biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose to the office of taikō during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. The Confucian scholar Oze Hoan published the work in 1626 during the rule of the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu...

     (1625-1661)
  • Honchō Tsugan (1644-1647, 1670)
  • Kouyou Gunkanki (early 17th century)
  • Hankanfu (1702)
  • Tokushi Yoron
    Tokushi Yoron
    The is an Edo period historical analysis of Japanese history written in 1712 by Arai Hakuseki .Hakuseki's innovative effort to understand and explain the history of Japan differs significantly from previous chronologies which were created by other writers, such as* Gukanshō by Jien, whose work...

     (1712)
  • Koshitsu (1716)
  • Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu (1785)
  • Kaikoku Heidan (1791)
  • Keisei Hisaku (1789-1801)
  • Saiiki Monogatari (around 18th century)
  • Nihon Gaishi (early 18th century)
  • Ryushi Shinron (mid 18th century)
  • Kondo Hisaku (late Edo period)
  • Nihon Seiki (late Edo period)
  • Shinron (late Edo period)
  • Shoku Hankanfu (1806)
  • Yasou Dokugo (1806)
  • Keikodan (1813)
  • Shinkiron (1838)
  • Yume Monogatari
    Yume Monogatari
    "Yume Monogatari" is Tackey & Tsubasa's second single under the avex trax label. This is the second retail single for their 2wenty 2wo album.-Overview:...

     (1838)
  • Kaitenshishi (1844)
  • Tokushi Zeigi
    Tokushi Zeigi
    is an analysis of Japanese historic persons by Saitō Chikudō. This book covers both politicians and servicemen. Tokushi Zeigi is different from other Japanese history books of those days...

     (1852)
  • Seikenroku (1854)
  • Shozan Taiwa (1864)
  • Shozan Kanwa (1865)
  • Hikawa Seiwa (1897)
  • Dai Nihon Shi (started on 1657, completed on 1906)

Mathematics, science

  • Ishinpō
    Ishinpo
    is the oldest surviving Japanese medical text. It was written by Yasuyori Tamba in 984 and is 30 volumes in length. The work is based on the Chinese Bìng Yuánhóu lún, written by Suí Dynasty author Cháo Yuánfāng. Many of the Ishinpō texts have been lost in China, and have only survived to the...

     (984)
  • Jinkōki (1627)
  • Katsuyo Sanpo (mid Edo period)
  • Kenkon Bensetsu (mid Edo period)
  • Hatsubi Sanpō (1674)
  • Kyuritsu (1836)
  • Sekka Zusetsu (1835)
  • Zoku Sekka Zusetsu (1840)

Kanshi
Kanshi
Kanshi may refer to:* Kanshi , Chinese poetry written by Japanese* Kanshi, Fujian, a city in China....

  • Kaifūsō
    Kaifuso
    is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry written by Japanese poets.It was created by an unknown compiler in 751. In the brief introductions of the poets, the unknown writer seems sympathic to Emperor Kōbun and his regents who were overthrown in 672 by Emperor Temmu after only eight months of the...

     (751)
  • Ryōunshū
    Ryounshu
    is the first imperially commissioned Japanese kanshi collection. It was compiled by Ono no Minemori, Sugawara no Kiyotomo and others under the command of Emperor Saga. The text was completed in 814.-Title:...

     (814)
  • Bunka Shūreishū
    Bunka Shureishu
    is the second imperially commissioned Japanese kanshi collection. The text was compiled by Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu, Sugawara no Kiyotomo, Nakao Ō, Isayama no Fumitugu, Shigeno no Sadanushi, and Kuwahara no Haraaka under the command of Emperor Saga. The text was completed c. 818, four years after the...

     (c. 818)
  • Keikokushū
    Keikokushu
    is the third imperially commissioned Japanese kanshi collection. The text was compiled byYoshimine no Yasuyo, Minabuchi no Hirosada, Sugawara no Kiyotomo, Yasuno no Fumitugu, Shigeno no Sadanushi, and Abe no Yoshihito under the command of Emperor Junna...

     (827)
  • Fusōshū
    Fusoshu
    is a mid-Heian period Japanese text of kanshi. It was compiled by Ki no Tadana between 995 and 999, just shortly before the turn of the millennium.-Contents:While originally sixteen volumes in length, only volumes seven and nine currently remain...

     (c. 995-999)
  • Wakan Rōeishū
    Wakan roeishu
    The is an anthology of Chinese poems and 31-syllable Japanese waka for singing to fixed melodies .Compiled by Fujiwara no Kintō ca...

     (c. 1013)
  • Honchō Monzui
    Honcho Monzui
    is Japanese book of Chinese prose and poetry. It was compiled around the middle of the 11th century during the Heian period by Fujiwara no Akihira.-Composition:...

     (mid 11th century)
  • Gōrihōshū (c. 1071)
  • Wakankensakushū (1277-79)

Waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...

  • Bussokusekika
    Bussokusekika
    , also known as Bussokuseki no Uta, are poems inscribed beside the stone Buddha Foot monument at Yakushi Temple in Nara.Numbering twenty one poems in total, they are divided into two sections:*Seventeen poems praising the virtue of Buddha....

     (c. 753)
  • Man'yōshū (>759)
  • Kakyō Hyōshiki
    Kakyo Hyoshiki
    is a text on Japanese poetics written by Fujiwara no Hamanari. One volume in length, it "is the oldest extant piece of poetic criticism in the Japanese canon".-Title:...

     (772)
  • Shinsen Man'yōshū (early 10th century)
  • Iseshū (after 939)
  • Amanotekorashū (late 10th century)
  • Tomonorishū (late 10th century)
  • Kingyoku Wakashū (1007-11)
  • Wakanrōeishū (1018)
  • Yorizaneshū (after 1044)
  • Zōkihōshishū (mid 11th century)
  • Shōryōshū (1078)
  • Gensanmi Yorimasashū (1173-78)
  • Chōshūeisō (1178)
  • Tsuneiekyōshū (c. 1182)
  • Sankashū (late 12th century)
  • Kinkai Wakashū (c. 1213)
  • Kenrei-mon In Ukyō No Daibu Shū (c. 1233)
  • Fūyō Wakashū
    Fūyō Wakashū
    is a late 13th century collection of poetry from Japanese literature..-Composition:The collection of poems was compiled in the year 1271. Although this is not completely certain, the author is believed to be Fujiwara no Tameie...

     (1271)
  • Wakankensakushū (1277-79)
  • Shokugenyō Wakashū (1323-24)
  • Shūgyokushū (c. 1328)
  • Renri Hishō
    Renri Hisho
    is a text on renga poetics. It was written by Nijō Yoshimoto around 1349. It had a great influence on the development of renga.-Development:Yoshimoto learned waka from Ton'a and renga from Gusai and Kyūsei. While he authored several treatises on waka, it is for renga that he is best known. By the...

     (c. 1349)
  • Tsukubashū
    Tsukubashū
    was the first imperial anthology of renga. The collection was compiled by Nijō Yoshimoto. Provincial lord Sasaki Takauji played an active role in its production with 81 of his poems appearing in the final version....

     (1356)
  • Shinyō Wakashū (1381)
  • Shinsen Tsukubashū (1495)
  • Kanginshū (1518)
  • Shinsen Inutsukubashū (after 1524)

  • Nijūichidaishū
    Nijuichidaishu
    The are Japan's twenty one imperial collections of Japanese poetry written by noblemen. The following texts listed in chronological order constitute the Nijūichidaishū:...

     (21 imperial collections of Japanese poetry)
  1. Kokin Wakashū (c. 920)
  2. Gosen Wakashū (951)
  3. Shūi Wakashū (1005-1007)
  4. Goshūi Wakashū (1086)
  5. Kin'yō Wakashū (1124-27)
  6. Shika Wakashū (1151-54)
  7. Senzai Wakashū (1187)
  8. Shin Kokin Wakashū (1205)
  9. Shinchokusen Wakashū (1234)
  10. Shokugosen Wakashū (1251)
  11. Shokukokin Wakashū (1265)
  12. Shokushūi Wakashū (1278)
  13. Shingosen Wakashū (1303)
  14. Gyokuyō Wakashū (1313-14)
  15. Shokusenzai Wakashū (1320)
  16. Shokugoshūi Wakashū (1325-26)
  17. Fūga Wakashū (1344-46)
  18. Shinsenzai Wakashū (1359)
  19. Shinshūi Wakashū (1364)
  20. Shingoshūi Wakashū (1383-84)
  21. Shinshokukokin Wakashū (1439)

Haikai
Haikai
Haikai is a poetic genre that includes a number of forms which embrace the aesthetics of haikai no renga, and what Bashō referred to as the "poetic spirit" , including haiku, renku , haibun, haiga and senryū ."Haikai" is sometimes used as an abbreviation for "haikai no...

  • Fuyu no hi (1684)
  • Haru No Hi (1686)
  • Arano (1689)
  • Hisago (1690)
  • Sarumino (1691)
  • Sumidawara (1694)
  • Oku no Hosomichi
    Oku no Hosomichi
    , translated alternately as The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior, is a major work by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō considered "one of the major texts of classical Japanese literature."...

     (1702)

Zuihitsu
Zuihitsu
is a genre of Japanese literature consisting of loosely connected personal essays and fragmented ideas that typically respond to the author's surroundings...

  • Chiteiki
    Chiteiki
    , also known as Chitei no Ki, is one of the representative kanbun texts of the mid Heian period. Belonging to the zuihitsu genre, it was written by Yoshishige no Yasutane in 982...

     (982)
  • Makura no Sōshi
    The Pillow Book
    is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 11th century in Heian Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002....

     (1002)
  • Hōjōki
    Hojoki
    , variously translated as "An Account of My Hut" or "The Ten Foot Square Hut", is an important short work of the Kamakura period in Japan by Kamo no Chōmei. Written in 1212, it describes disasters that befall the people of Kyoto from earthquakes to famine and fire...

     (1212)
  • Tsurezuregusa
    Tsurezuregusa
    is a collection of Japanese essays written by the monk Yoshida Kenkō between 1330 and 1332. The work is widely considered a gem of medieval Japanese literature and one of the three representative works of the zuihitsu genre, along with Makura no Sōshi and the Hōjōki.Tsurezuregusa comprises a...

     (c. 1330)

See also

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