TheNihon Shoki (日本書紀) orNihongi (日本紀), sometimes translated asThe Chronicles of Japan, is the second-oldest book of classicalJapanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than theKojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians andarchaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical record ofancient Japan. TheNihon Shoki was finished in720 under the editorial supervision ofPrince Toneri with the assistance ofŌ no Yasumaro and presented toEmpress Genshō.[1] The book is also a reflection ofChinese influence on Japanese civilization.[2] In Japan, the Sinicized court wanted written history that could be compared with the annals of the Chinese.[2]
TheNihon Shoki begins with theJapanese creation myth, explaining the origin of the world and the first seven generations of divine beings (starting withKuninotokotachi), and goes on with a number of myths as does theKojiki, but continues its account through to events of the 8th century. It is believed to record accurately the latter reigns ofEmperor Tenji,Emperor Tenmu andEmpress Jitō. TheNihon Shoki focuses on the merits of the virtuousrulers as well as the errors of the bad rulers. It describes episodes frommythological eras anddiplomatic contacts with other countries. TheNihon Shoki was written inclassical Chinese, as was common for official documents at that time. TheKojiki, on the other hand, is written in a combination of Chinese and phonetic transcription of Japanese (primarily for names and songs). TheNihon Shoki also contains numeroustransliteration notes telling the reader how words were pronounced in Japanese. Collectively, the stories in this book and theKojiki are referred to as the Kiki stories.[3]
The tale ofUrashima Tarō is developed from the brief mention inNihon Shoki (Emperor Yūryaku Year 22) that a certain child of Urashima visited Horaisan and saw wonders. The later tale has plainly incorporated elements from the famous anecdote of "Luck of the Sea and Luck of the Mountains" (Hoderi andHoori) found inNihon Shoki. The later developed Urashima tale contains theRip Van Winkle motif, so some may consider it an early example of fictionaltime travel.[4]
The first translation was completed by William George Aston in 1896 (English).[5]
The Nihon Shoki entry of 15 April 683 CE (Tenmu 12th year), when an edict was issued mandating the use of copper coins rather than silver coins, an early mention ofJapanese currency. Excerpt of the 11th century edition.
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)Kan'yamato Iwarebiko no Sumeramikoto.
The background of the compilation of theNihon Shoki is that Emperor Tenmu ordered 12 people, including Prince Kawashima, to edit the old history of the empire.[6]
Shoku Nihongi notes that "先是一品舍人親王奉勅修日本紀。至是功成奏上。紀卅卷系圖一卷" in the part of May 720. It means "Up to that time, Prince Toneri had been compilingNihongi on the orders of the emperor; he completed it, submitting 30 volumes of history and one volume of genealogy".[7]
TheNihon Shoki is a synthesis of 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 toNihon Shoki, there wereTennōki andKokki compiled byPrince Shōtoku andSoga no Umako, but as they were stored in Soga's residence, they were burned at the time of theIsshi Incident in July 645.
The work's contributors refer to various sources which do not exist today. Among those sources, threeBaekje documents (Kudara-ki, etc.) are cited mainly for the purpose of recording diplomatic affairs.[8] Textual criticism shows that scholars fleeing the destruction of the Baekje to Yamato wrote these histories and the authors of theNihon Shoki heavily relied upon those sources.[9] This must be taken into account in relation to statements referring to old historic rivalries between the ancientKorean kingdoms ofSilla,Goguryeo, andBaekje.
Some other sources are cited anonymously asaru fumi (一書; "some document"), in order to keep alternative records for specific incidents.
Most scholars agree that the purported founding date of Japan (660 BCE) and the earliest emperors of Japan are mythical.[10][failed verification] This does not necessarily imply that the persons referred to did not exist, merely that there is insufficient material available for further verification and study.[11] Dates in theNihon Shoki before the late 7th century were likely recorded using theGenka calendar system.[12]
For those monarchs, and also for the EmperorsŌjin andNintoku, 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 theepoch of 660 BCE was chosen because it is a "xīn-yǒu" year in thesexagenary cycle, which according toTaoist 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 ofNihon 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.
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 theKesshi Hachidai ("欠史八代, "eight generations lacking history") because no legends (or a few, as quoted inNihon Ōdai Ichiran[citation needed]) are associated with them. Some[which?] 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 theHatsu-Kuni-Shirasu ("御肇国: first nation-ruling) emperor.[13]
The tale ofUrashima Tarō is developed from the brief mention inNihon Shoki (Emperor Yūryaku Year 22) that a certain child of Urashima visited Horaisan and saw wonders. The later tale has plainly incorporated elements from the famous anecdote of "Luck of the Sea and Luck of the Mountains" (Hoderi andHoori) found inNihon Shoki. The later developed Urashima tale contains theRip Van Winkle motif, so some may consider it an early example of fictionaltime travel.[4]
^Aston, William George (July 2005) [1972], "Introduction",Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD 697 (Tra ed.), Tuttle Publishing, p. xv,ISBN978-0-8048-3674-6, from the original Chinese and Japanese.
^Ō no Yasumaro. Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. William George Aston. London. Transactions and proceedings of the Japan Society. 2006
Sakamoto, Tarō (1991).The Six National Histories of Japan: Rikkokushi. Translated by Brownlee, John S. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.ISBN978-0-7748-0379-3.
Brownlee, John S. (1991).Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: FromKojiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712). Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.ISBN0-88920-997-9
JHTI."Nihon Shoki".Japanese Historical Text Initiative. UC Berkeley. Retrieved25 April 2018.:kanbun text vs. English translation (Aston's 1896 edition) in blocks. Search mode and browse mode. Images are from a 1785 printed edition.
(in Japanese)『日本書紀』国史大系版 [Nihon Shoki – Kokushi Taikei edition].菊池眞一研究室 (Shinichi Kikuchi laboratory) (in Japanese).Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved2024-06-16. [Based on The Revised Enhanced Kokushi Taikei edition, redacted with other editions]
