Nihon Shoki
Also known as: Nihongi, Chronicles of Japan, 日本書紀, Annals of Japan
The Nihon Shoki is Japan’s earliest state-sponsored chronicle, completed in 720 CE. Written in classical Chinese, it interweaves cosmogony, divine genealogies, and imperial annals from the age of the kami through the late 7th century.
Description
Compiled under the early Nara court, the Nihon Shoki systematizes mythic origins and dynastic history into thirty scrolls, adopting the annalistic and diplomatic style of continental historiography. Its opening books recount the emergence of primordial deities, the creation of the Japanese islands by Izanagi and Izanami, the celestial lineage of Amaterasu, and the descent of Ninigi bearing the imperial regalia. Midway, the narrative shifts toward the legendary first emperor Jimmu and subsequent rulers, blending myth with increasingly datable events, including the introduction of Buddhism, court reforms, and interstate relations with the Korean peninsula and China. A key aim is to legitimize imperial authority by anchoring it in divine descent and orderly succession.
Historiography
Transmitted in multiple Heian-period manuscript lines, the text survives through later copies; the earliest extant witnesses are centuries after compilation. It was edited in classical Chinese and presents variant accounts for several myths, preserving parallel traditions. Medieval exegesis, notably the Shaku Nihongi (13th century), excerpted and glossed earlier sources, influencing later readings. In early modern scholarship it stood alongside the Kojiki as a foundational text; modern historiography treats its early books as mythic while mining later annals for historical data.
Date Notes
Presented to Empress Genshō in 720; draws on earlier court genealogies and oral/archival materials (Teiki, Kyūji), now largely lost.
Archetypes
Major Characters
- Izanagi
- Izanami
- Amaterasu
- Susanoo
- Tsukuyomi
- Ninigi
- Emperor Jimmu
Myths
- Creation of the Land of Japan
- Amaterasu and Susanoo
- Emperor Jimmu’s Eastern Expedition
- Deeds of Prince Yamato Takeru
Facts
- Composed in classical Chinese (kanbun) to align with continental historiographic norms.
- Presents parallel variants for key myths, preserving multiple traditions side by side.
- Opens with cosmogony and transitions to increasingly datable annals by later books.
- Centers imperial legitimacy on descent from Amaterasu through Ninigi and Jimmu.
- Records diplomatic contacts with Baekje, Silla, Goguryeo, and Tang China.
- Documents the introduction of Buddhism and subsequent political conflicts.
- Provides early narratives for Ise Shrine’s establishment and the Three Regalia.
- Cites now-lost sources such as the Teiki and Kyūji.
- Influenced subsequent national histories including the Shoku Nihongi.
- Medieval commentary Shaku Nihongi excerpted earlier materials and standardized readings.