(Redirected from Nihonshoki)
The , 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 JitÅ, 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) ''ÅŒyamato Hikosukitomo no Sumeramikoto.''
★
★ (
Emperor Kosho) ''Mimatsuhiko Sukitomo no Sumeramikoto.''
★
★ (
Emperor Koan) ''Yamato Tarashihiko Kuni Oshihito no Sumeramikoto.''
★
★ (
Emperor Korei) ''ÅŒyamato Nekohiko Futoni no Sumramikoto.''
★
★ (
Emperor Kogen) ''ÅŒyamato Nekohiko Kunikuru no Sumramikoto.''
★
★ (
Emperor Kaika) ''Wakayamato Nekohiko ÅŒbibi no Sumeramikoto.''
★ 'Chapter 05': (
Emperor Sujin) ''Mimaki Iribiko Iniye no Sumeramikoto.''
★ 'Chapter 06': (
Emperor Suinin) ''Ikume Iribiko Isachi no Sumeramikoto.''
★ 'Chapter 07':
★
★ (
Emperor Keiko) ''ÅŒtarashihiko 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) ''ÅŒsasagi 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 YÅ«ryaku) ''ÅŒhatsuse 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) ''ÅŒdo 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å“舎人親王奉勅修日本紀。至是功æˆå¥ä¸Šã€‚紀三å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 YÅ«ryaku 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 ÅŒhastuse(YÅ«ryaku) Emperor" referring to the assassination of Emperor AnkÅ, 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.
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'' (æ¬ å²å…«ä»£) 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. The Six National Histories of Japan: Rikkokushi, , Taro, Sakamoto, UBC Press, , ISBN 0-7748-0379-7
2. The Cambridge History of Japan, , , , Cambridge University Press, , ISBN 0-521-22352-0
Further reading
See also
★
William George Aston - the first translator of the ''Nihongi'' into the English language
★
GukanshÅ
★
JinnÅ ShÅtÅki
★
Nihon ÅŒdai Ichiran
External links
★
Nihon Shoki TEXT
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