Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/572

mentary on it was compiled by the learned Motoöri Norinaga toward the end of the 18th century, under the title of Kojikiden. The next most ancient work of the kind is the Nihongi or Nihonshoki, which was also composed at the command of the reigning mikado, and completed in 720, by a commission presided over by the prince Toneri Shinno. It differs very much from the Kojiki in being composed in a purely Chinese idiom, and the poetry which occurs here and there is all that it contains of Japanese. This fact explains the abundance of Chinese philosophical notions which are found in it throughout, but notably at the very commencement, where the pure Japanese tradition of the creation is preceded by one of Chinese origin. Still this book has always been much more read than the Kojiki, and all the ordinary histories are founded on it. The first two volumes contain the mythological period; the remaining bring the annals of the mikados down to the 11th year of the empress Jido Tenno (699). It is somewhat curious that, although the mythological part contains numerous references to "other documents," the remainder is a simple unsupported narration. The Shoku Nihongi, in 20 volumes, contains the history of the mikados from the first year of the reign of Mommu Tenno (672–686) down to the end of the 10th year of Kuammu Tenno (782–806), a period of 120 years. It was composed at the command of the mikado Kuammu, about the year 797, by Sugano no Mamichi, Fujiwara no Tsugunawa, and others. The Nihon Koki, in 10 volumes, was composed in 841 by Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu, at the command of the mikado Nimmio (833–850), and contains an account of the events between the years 792 and 823. About one half of it has been lost. The Shoku Nihon Koki was composed about 869 by Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, Harusumi, and Yoshinawa, at the command of the mikado Seiwa Tenno; it is in 20 books, and contains the history of Nimmio Tenno's reign. The Montoku Jitsuroku was composed about 879 by Fujiwara no Mototsune, Urabe no Yoshika, and Sugawara no Michizane, and contains the history of the reign of Montoku Tenno (850–858). The Sandai Jitsuroku was compiled about 901 by a number of persons, among whom was Michizane, by command of the reigning mikado Daigo Tenno; it consists of 20 volumes, and narrates the history of the reigns of Seiwa Tenno, Yozei Tenno, and Koko Tenno (858–876, 876–884, and 884–887). The above mentioned six works are called by the general name of the Rikkokushi, or "Six National Records." They are all written in the Chinese idiom, and contain no passages in Japanese, with the exception of the speeches ascribed to the mikados, some of which are, however, evidently corrupt. Sugawara Michizane compiled a work based on these original histories called Ruijiu Kokushi, in 200 books, which has never been printed, and the greater part of which has been lost. Of the Honcho Seiki, another history which contained the latter part of the reign of Uda Tenno (887–897), composed by the priest Shinsai Hoshi, all but one book has been lost. This author lived about the middle of the 12th century. The Fuso Riakki is a history commencing with the reign of Daigo Tenno (897–930) and concluding with that of Go-Toba Tenno (1184–'98); but of the whole 14 books about one third has been lost. The Nihon Kiriaku is a history of the mikados from 884 to 1028, but the reigns of Koko Tenno and Uda Tenno are wanting. It is moreover uncertain who were the authors of these last two works, and to what period they belong. Hayashi Kazan (1583–1657), in conjunction with his son Gaho or Shunsai, compiled a general history of Japan in 273 books entitled Honcho Tsugan, beginning with Jimmu Tenno and ending with the 34th year of Goyozei Tenno. A supplement to this work was completed in 1703 by the great-grandson of Razan; it is entitled Kokushi Jitsuroku, and forms 79 books. Both of these works exist only in manuscript. The next historical work was the Dai-Nihonshi, in 243 books, which are bound up in 100 volumes. The first 73 books contain the history of the mikados from Jimmu Tenno to Go-Komatsu Tenno (1393–1413); 12 are devoted to notices of their wives and concubines, 14 to the princes of the imperial blood, 6 to the princesses, 73 to biographies of high officials of the government under different reigns, 8 to the shoguns from Yoritomo to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, 5 to the relatives of the shoguns, 22 to retainers of the shoguns, 5 to notices of scholars, 4 to poets, 1 to examples of filial piety, 1 to the samurai noted for their loyalty and courage, 1 to celebrated women, 1 to men who retired from the world, 1 to artists, 3 to rebels, 1 to traitors, and the last 12 to the relations of Japan with other Asiatic states, such as various Chinese kingdoms, down to the time of the Mongol and Ming dynasties, Corea, Mantchooria, southern India, and Loo Choo. It is written entirely in classical Chinese, and the composition is said to have been corrected by Chinese scholars who fled to Japan during the troubles in their own country in the 17th century. The list of works made use of in compiling it contains 663 titles. It was composed by a number of Japanese scholars engaged for that purpose by the second prince of Mito (1622–1700), who was in reality the founder of the movement which culminated in the revolution of 1868. By his express wish the empress Jingo Kogo was transferred from the list of sovereigns to that of the mikados' wives, and Prince Otomo was placed among the sovereigns. He further vindicated the cause of legitimacy by treating the mikados of the nancho or "southern court" as the genuine sovereigns, and those of the hokucho or "northern court" as usurpers. It was completed about 1715, but was first printed in 1851. The Nihon Shunjiu (in Chinese), in