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Nihon Shoki
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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 record of ancient Japan. The Nihon Shoki was finished in 720 under the editorial supervision of Prince Toneri and with the assistance of O no Yasumaro.
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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 record of ancient Japan. The Nihon Shoki was finished in 720 under the editorial supervision of Prince Toneri and with the assistance of O no Yasumaro. The book is also called the .
Like the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki begins with a series of myths, but continues its account through to events of the 8th century. It is believed to record accurately the latter reigns of Emperor Tenji, Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito. The Nihon Shoki focuses on the merits of the virtuous rulers as well as the errors of the bad rulers. It describes episodes from mythological eras and diplomatic contacts with other countries. The Nihon Shoki was written in classical Chinese, as was common for official documents at that time. The Kojiki, on the other hand, is written in a combination of Chinese and phonetic transcription of Japanese (primarily for names and songs). The Nihon Shoki also contains numerous transliteration notes telling the reader how words were pronounced in Japanese.
Chapters
- Chapter 01: (First chapter of myths) Kami no Yo no Kami no maki.
- Chapter 02: (Second chapter of myths) Kami no Yo no Shimo no maki.
- Chapter 03: (Emperor Jimmu) Kamuyamato Iwarebiko no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 04:
- Chapter 05: (Emperor Sujin) Mimaki Iribiko Iniye no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 06: (Emperor Suinin) Ikume Iribiko Isachi no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 07:
- Chapter 08: (Emperor Chuai) Tarashi Nakatsuhiko no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 09: (Empress Jingu) Okinaga Tarashihime no Mikoto.
- Chapter 10: (Emperor Ojin) Homuda no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 11: (Emperor Nintoku) Osasagi no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 12:
- Chapter 13:
- Chapter 14: (Emperor Yuryaku) Ohatsuse no Waka Takeru no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 15:
- Chapter 16: (Emperor Buretsu) Ohatsuse no Waka Sasagi no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 17: (Emperor Keitai) Odo no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 18:
- Chapter 19: (Emperor Kimmei) Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 20: (Emperor Bidatsu) Nunakakura no Futo Tamashiki no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 21:
- Chapter 22: (Empress Suiko) Toyomike Kashikiya Hime no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 23: (Emperor Jomei) Okinaga Tarashi Hihironuka no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 24: (Empress Kogyoku) Ame Toyotakara Ikashi Hitarashi no Hime no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 25: (Emperor Kotoku) Ame Yorozu Toyohi no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 26: (Empress Saimei) Ame Toyotakara Ikashi Hitarashi no Hime no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 27: (Emperor Tenji) Ame Mikoto Hirakasuwake no Sumeramikoto.
- Chapter 28: (Emperor Temmu, first chapter) Ama no Nunakahara Oki no Mahito no Sumeramikoto, Kami no maki.
- Chapter 29: (Emperor Temmu, second chapter) Ama no Nunakahara Oki no Mahito no Sumeramikoto, Shimo no maki.
- Chapter 30: (Empress Jito) Takamanohara Hirono Hime no Sumeramikoto.
Process of compilation
Shoku Nihongi notes that "?????????????????????????????" in the part of May, 720. It means "Up to that time, Prince Toneri had been compiling Nihongi on the orders of the emperor; he completed it, submitting 30 volumes of history and one volume of genealogy". The volume of genealogy is no longer extant.
Contributors
The process of compilation is usually studied by stylistic analysis of each chapter. Although written in classical Chinese, some sections use styles characteristic of Japanese editors, while others seem to be written by native speakers of Chinese. According to recent studies, most of the chapters after #14 (Emperor Yuryaku chronicle) were contributed by native Chinese, except for Chapters 22 and 23 (the Suiko and Jomei chronicle). Also, as Chapter 13 ends with the phrase "see details of the incident in the chronicle of Ohastuse (Yuryaku) Emperor" referring to the assassination of Emperor Anko, it is assumed that this chapter was written after the compilation of subsequent chapters. Some believe Chapter 14 was the first to be completed.
Exaggeration of reign lengths
Most scholars agree that the purported founding date of Japan (660 BCE) and the earliest emperors of Japan are legendary or mythical. This does not necessarily imply that the persons referred to did not exist, merely that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that they existed or can be assigned to a particular period of history. It is much more likely that they were chieftains, or local kings, and that the polities they ruled would not have encompassed all, or even most, of Japan.
For those monarchs, and also for the Emperors Ojin and Nintoku, the lengths of reign are likely to have been exaggerated in order to make the origins of the imperial family sufficiently ancient to satisfy numerological expectations. It is widely believed that the epoch of 660 BCE was chosen because it is a "xin-you" year in the sexagenary cycle, which according to Taoist beliefs was an appropriate year for a revolution to take place. As Taoist theory also groups together 21 sexagenary cycles into one unit of time, it is assumed that the compilers of Nihon Shoki assigned the year 601 (a "xin-you" year in which Prince Shotoku's reformation took place) as a "modern revolution" year, and consequently recorded 660 BCE, 1260 years prior to that year, as the founding epoch.
Kesshi Hachidai ("eight undocumented monarchs")
For the eight emperors of Chapter 4, only the years of birth and reign, year of naming as Crown Prince, names of consorts, and locations of tomb are recorded. They are called the Kesshi Hachidai (????, "Eight generations lacking history") because no legends are associated with them. Recent studies support the view that these emperors were invented to push Jimmu's reign further back to the year 660 BCE. Nihon Shoki itself somewhat elevates the "tenth" emperor Sujin, recording that he was called the Hatsu-Kuni-Shirasu (???: first nation-ruling) emperor.
Other controversies
http://orias.berkeley.edu/hero/yamato/characters_yamato.html
See also
- Kokki, 620
- Tennoki, 620
- Teiki, 681
- Iki no Hakatoko no Sho, a historical record used as a reference in the compilation of Nihon Shoki
- Kojiki, 712
- Gukansho, c. 1220 -- historical argument, Buddhist perspective
- Shaku Nihongi, 13th century -- an annotated version for Nihon Shoki
- Jinno Shotoki. 1359 -- historical argument, Shinto perspective
- Nihon Odai Ichiran, 1652 -- historical argument, neo-Confucian perspective
- Tokushi Yoron, 1712 -- historical argument, rationalist perspective
External links
Further reading
- Brownlee, John S. (1997) Japanese historians and the national myths, 1600-1945: The Age of the Gods and Emperor Jimmu. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. ISBN 0-7748-0644-3 Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN 4-13-027031-1
- Brownlee, John S. (1991). Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: From Kojiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712). Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 0-889-20997-9
- Sakamoto, Taro. (1991). The Six National Histories of Japan: Rikkokushi, John S. Brownlee, tr. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. 10-ISBN 0-774-80379-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-774-80379-3
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