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Information about Nihongi

Part of the series on
Japanese Mythology

Religions  · Divinities
Creatures & Spirits
Stories and Myths
Kojiki  ·
Nihon Shoki  · Otogizōshi
Yotsuya Kaidan
Legendary Figures
Abe no Seimei  · Hidari Jingorō
Kintarō  · Kuzunoha  · Momotarō
Nezumi Kozō  · Tamamo-no-Mae
Tomoe Gozen  · Urashima Tarō
Sacred Objects
Amenonuhoko  · Kusanagi
Sesshō-seki  · Tonbogiri
Three Sacred Treasures
Mythical & Sacred Locations
Hōrai  · Mount Hiei
Mt. Fuji  · Rashōmon
Ryūgū-jō  · Suzakumon
Takamagahara  · Yomi
Japanese Mythology


The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven invaluable to historians 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 Ōno Yasumaro. The book is also called the Nihongi (日本紀).

Like the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki begins with a series of myths, but continues its account through to contemporary events. It is believed to record accurately the latter reigns of Emperor Tenji, Emperor Temmu, and Empress Jitō, and focuses on the merits of the virtuous rulers and the errors of the bad ones. 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. By contrast, the Kojiki was written in Japanese transliterated into Chinese characters.

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:
  • (Emperor Suizei) Kamu Nunakawamimi no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Annei) Shikitsuhiko Tamatemi no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Itoku) Ōyamato Hikosukitomo no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Kosho) Mimatsuhiko Sukitomo no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Koan) Yamato Tarashihiko Kuni Oshihito no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Korei) Ōyamato Nekohiko Futoni no Sumramikoto.
  • (Emperor Kogen) Ōyamato Nekohiko Kunikuru no Sumramikoto.
  • (Emperor Kaika) Wakayamato Nekohiko Ōbibi no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 05: (Emperor Sujin) Mimaki Iribiko Iniye no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 06: (Emperor Suinin) Ikume Iribiko Isachi no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 07:
  • (Emperor Keiko) Ōtarashihiko Oshirowake no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Seimu) Waka Tarashihiko no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 08: (Emperor Chuai) Tarashi Nakatsuhiko no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 09: (Regent Empress Jingu) Okinaga Tarashihime no Mikoto.
  • Chapter 10: (Emperor Ojin) Homuda no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 11: (Emperor Nintoku) Ōsasagi no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 12:
  • (Emperor Richu) Izahowake no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Hanzei) Mitsuhawake no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 13:
  • (Emperor Ingyo) Oasazuma Wakugo no Sukune no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Anko) Anaho no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 14: (Emperor Yūryaku) Ōhatsuse no Waka Takeru no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 15:
  • (Emperor Seinei) Shiraka no Take Hirokuni Oshi Waka Yamato Neko no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Kenzo) Woke no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Ninken) Oke no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 16: (Emperor Buretsu) Ohatsuse no Waka Sasagi no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 17: (Emperor Keitai) Ōdo no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 18:
  • (Emperor Ankan) Hirokuni Oshi Take Kanahi no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Senka) Take Ohirokuni Oshi Tate no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 19: (Emperor Kimmei) Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 20: (Emperor Bidatsu) Nunakakura no Futo Tamashiki no Sumeramikoto.
  • Chapter 21:
  • (Emperor Yomei) Tachibana no Toyohi no Sumeramikoto.
  • (Emperor Sushun) Hatsusebe no Sumeramikoto.
  • 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 "先是一品舎人親王奉勅修日本紀。至是功成奏上。紀三十巻系図一巻" 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 Yūryaku 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 Ōhastuse(Yūryaku) Emperor" referring to the assassination of Emperor Ankō, it is assumed that this chapter was written after the compilation of subsequent chapters. Some believe Chapter 14 was the first to be completed.

References

The Nihon Shoki is said to be based on older documents, specifically on the records that had been continuously kept in the Yamato court since the sixth century. It also includes documents and folklore submitted by clans serving the court. Prior to Nihon Shoki, there were Tennoki (Chronicle of the Emperors), and Kokki (Chronicle of the State) compiled by Prince Shotoku and Soga no Umako, but as they were stored in Soga's residence, they were burned at the time of the Isshi Incident.

The work's contributors refer to various sources which do not exist today. Among those sources, three Baekje documents(Kudara-ki,etc) are cited mainly for the purpose of recording diplomatic affairs.[1][2] Records possibly written in Baekje may have been the basis for the quotations in the Nihon Shoki. But textual criticism shows that scholars fleeing the destruction of the Baekje to Yamato wrote these histories and the authors of the Nihon Shoki heavily relied upon those sources.[1] The use of Baekje's place names in Nihon Shoki is another piece of evidence that the history used Baekje documents.

Some other sources are cited anonymously as aru fumi (一書; other document), in order to keep alternative records for specific incidents.

Exaggeration of reign lengths

Most scholars agree that the purported founding date of Japan (660 BCE) and the first thirteen emperors of Japan are 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 "xīn-yǒu" 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 "xīn-yǒu" 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 (欠史八代) 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 (御肇国: first nation-ruling) emperor.

References

Notes

1. ^ Sakamoto, Taro. The Six National Histories of Japan: Rikkokushi. UBC Press, 40. ISBN 0-7748-0379-7. 
2. ^ in Delmer M. Brown: The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press, 170. ISBN 0-521-22352-0. 

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: Wilfred Laurier University Press. ISBN 0-889-20997-9

See also

  • William George Aston - the first translator of the Nihongi into the English language
  • Gukanshō
  • Jinnō Shōtōki
  • Nihon Ōdai Ichiran

External links

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The following is a list of yōkai, obake, yūrei and other legendary creatures which are notable in Japanese folklore, mythology, literature and art.
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Japanese mythology is a very complex system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion.The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami (Japanese for "gods" or "spirits").
..... Click the link for more information.
Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving book in Japan.
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Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談), the story of Oiwa and Iemon, [1] is a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. Arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time, it has been adapted for film over 30 times, and
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Kuzunoha (葛の葉 Kuzunoha)
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Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. In the Otogizoshi, a collection of Japanese prose written in the Muromachi period, Tamamo-no-Mae was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe.
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The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology.

0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

  • Amenonuhoko (Japanese: 天の矛)

B

C

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E

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Ame-no-nuboko (天沼矛 "heavenly jewelled spear"
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Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Japanese: 草薙の剣) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan.
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Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. In the Otogizoshi, a collection of Japanese prose written in the Muromachi period, Tamamo-no-Mae was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe.
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The Imperial Regalia of Japan (三種の神器 Sanshu no Jingi
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Penglai Mountain (Traditional Chinese: 蓬萊山; Simplified Chinese: 蓬莱山; Pinyin: Pénglái shān), or
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Mount Hiei (比叡山 Hiei-zan
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Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san
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The Suzakumon (朱雀門 Suzakumon or Shujakumon
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Takama-ga-hara (also Takaamahara, Takanoamahara, Takamanohara, Takamagahara) (Japanese: 高天原 （たかあまはら、たかのあまはら、たかまのはら
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Yomi (黄泉), the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely.
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history of Japan began with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century AD. However, archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic period.
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Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving book in Japan.
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Prince Toneri (舎人親王, Toneri shinnō: 676-735) was a Japanese imperial prince in the Nara period. He was a son of Emperor Temmu. He was given the posthumous name, Emperor Sudoujinkei (崇道尽敬皇帝,
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Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving book in Japan.
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The word mythology (from the Greek μύθολογία mythología, from μυθολογείν mythologein
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