Nihon Shoki
The , sometimes translated as
The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical
Japanese
history. It is more elaborate than
Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven invaluable to historians as it includes the most complete extant historical record of ancient Japan.
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
Kojiki, the
Nihon Shoki begins with
mythological
tales, 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 mistakes of the bad ones. It describes episodes from
mythological eras and
diplomatic contacts with classical ruined countries at the
Mainland China and the
Korean peninsula. And numerous events close to the time of compilation. Though
Kojiki was written in transliterated Japanese with
Chinese characters,
Nihon Shoki was written in
classical Chinese, as was common for official documents at that time.
*
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 Yuryaku)
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.Shoku Nihongi notes that "先是一"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 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 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
Itsushi 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.
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.
Rhetoric
Nihon Shoki 's historical view contains some Japan-Centric point of view, which shows similarity with
Sinocentrism. For instance, it records Korean embassies as "tributed to Japan", while it doesn't record that Japan tributed to China. Instead, it simply records that Japan "sent envoys to China."
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. Even if a certain emperor did exist, it cannot be concluded that the title
Tennō was used of him during his lifetime. It is much more likely that he was a chieftain, or local king, and that the polity he 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-y'u" 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-y'u" 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.
*
William George Aston - the first translator of the
Nihongi into the English language
*
Nihon Shoki TEXT
