(Record of Ancient Matters). Japan's oldest extant chronicle, recording events
from the mythical age of the gods up to the time of Empress Suiko (r 593628).
The compiler, O no Yasumaro , states in the preface that it was presented to
the reigning empress, Gemmei (661722; r 707715), on 9 March 712.
The Three SectionsThe first section, known as Jindai
no maki (Book on the Age of the Gods), records the creation of heaven
and earth as well as myths concerning the founding of Japan. It describes the
descent from heaven of Ninigi no Mikoto , grandson of Amaterasu Omikami, progenitor
of the imperial line, to the mountain Takachihonomine in Kyushu (see mythology
). The second section covers the period from Emperor Jimmu 's reign through
the reign of Emperor Ojin at the beginning of the 5th century. The third section
records events from the reign of Emperor Nintoku until the rule of Suiko in
the early 7th century. Beginning with the passage in the third section dealing
with Emperor Kenso (late 5th century), almost all story elements disappear and
the narrative consists mainly of records on imperial succession and the imperial
family. This contrasts sharply with the Nihon shoki (720), in which the information
beginning with the reign of Emperor Yuryaku in the late 5th century becomes
increasingly detailed. The Kojiki, which places emphasis on myths, legends,
and historical and pseudohistorical narratives, may thus be called furukotobumi,
i.e., a literary work dealing with matters in ancient times.
The Kojiki is transcribed in Chinese characters (kanji) because the Japanese
had yet to develop their own phonetic script. The main text, in prose, is written
in hentai kambun , a form of literary Japanese that borrows heavily from classical
Chinese, while the verse sequences make phonetic use of Chinese characters.
The main text includes glosses indicating accent patterns, the pronunciations
of characters in Japanese and Chinese, and definitions of terms. Unlike the
Nihon shoki, the Kojiki does not present variant or supplementary versions of
a story.
HistoryAccording to O no Yasumaro's preface, sometime
during the late 7th century Emperor Temmu issued a decree stating that the Teiki
(the genealogical record of the imperial family) and the Kyuji (a collection
of myths, legends, and songs connected with the forebears of the imperial and
other leading families) had ceased to be accurate and would have to be corrected.
The compilation of accurate historical records would clarify the basis
of the state and the foundations for the moral teachings of the emperors.
Temmu ordered Hieda no Are to memorize the contents of the Teiki and Kyuji.
On 3 November 711 Empress Gemmei ordered O no Yasumaro to transcribe the information
memorized by Are, and the completed records were presented to the court the
following year.
The oldest surviving manuscript of the Kojiki is a scroll copied in the years
137172. It is known as the Shimpukuji-bon after the temple Shimpukuji
in Nagoya where it is stored. The postscript to this edition notes that copies
from the Kamakura period (11851333) existed at the time, but that no
copies from the Nara (710794) or Heian (7941185) periods had been
found. Moreover, in other historical records from the Nara period there is no
mention of the Kojiki. In the Edo period (16001868) speculation arose
that the Kojiki was a forgery from a later age. The 8th-century anthology Man'yoshu
, however, includes quotations from the work, and the Shohei no shiki (936,
Private Record of the Shohei Era) describes the Kojiki as Japan's oldest historical
work.
Scholarly research on the Kojiki, however, began only in the
Edo period, with Motoori Norinaga 's Kojiki den being the most famous and influential
study. Scholars of the Kokugaku school of historical studies, such as Motoori,
regarded the Kojiki as a classic among classics. Most scholars
accept Tsuda Sokichi 's conclusion that these oral traditions were first written
down in the mid-6th century. In addition to being a history, the Kojiki is also
one of the classics of Japanese literature, valuable for an understanding of
the mythology, traditions, religious beliefs, and arts of Japan.