Nihongi: Volume I - Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697

by Ō no Yasumaro, William George Ashton (Translator)

From its early stories of gods, monsters, and mischievous mythical creatures to its more grounded recountings of historical events, this classic collection of the first literary efforts of the Japanese people is the preeminent source of knowledge about Japanese antiquity. First published in this translation in 1896, includes a history of the Shinto, variations on the basic myths and legends of the nation, and insight into the manners and customs of the early Japanese. Students of folklore and comparative religion as well as those of Japanese history will find this an invaluable resource. British Japanologist and diplomat WILLIAM GEORGE ASTON (1841-1911) was one of the first Europeans to acquire a working understanding of the Japanese language. He served in Japan and Korea in a variety of diplomatic posts, and authored, among other works, The Way of the Gods and A History of Japanese Literature.

Genres: Japan, History, Mythology, Ancient History, Japanese Literature, Historical

432 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Yasumaro was a Japanese nobleman and chronicler of folklore and myth who is most remembered for his work on the Kojiki, and his likely work on the Nihon, both of which were early Japanese chronicles of folklore, mythology and the Japanese creation myth.

Reviews

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, yes, but the scholarship? Daaamn!®️

(I’m going for a thing)

[Makenzy Veldboom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Similar to the Book of the Dead from ancient Egypt, if you don’t have a great understanding, which I didn’t, of ancient language and writing you’re going to be extremely lost. I’m very interested in the origins of Shintoism and expanding my knowledge on this topic, if you are the same this may not be the best place to start unless you have a book where it explains what you’re reading, otherwise you’ll be just as confused as I was. However this book is the origins of Shintoism and how the “Kami” came to be so I’m assuming it’s pretty essential for any scholar, just not me lol

[Greg Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a great stirring read but he makes the right call regarding name translation compared to every version of the Kojiki I've ever read. Historomyth works well here, I think, better than in volume 2