Part of the series on Japanese Mythology
Religions  · Divinities
Creatures & Spirits
Stories and Myths
Kojiki  · Kwaidan
Nihon Shoki  · Otogizoshi
Yotsuya Kaidan
Legendary Figures
Abe no Seimei  · Hidari Jingoro
Kintarō  · Kuzunoha  · Momotarō
Nezumi Kozo  · Tamamo-no-Mae
Tomoe Gozen  · Urashima Tarō
Sacred Objects
Amenonuhoko  · Kusanagi
Sessho-seki  · Tonbogiri
Three Sacred Treasures
Mythical & Sacred Locations
Horai  · Mt. Hiei
Mt. Fuji  · Rashōmon
Ryugu-jo  · Suzakumon
Takamagahara  · Yomi
Japanese Mythology

Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving historical book recounting events of ancient earth in the Japanese language. A document claiming to be an older work, the Kujiki (which the Kojiki dates to AD 620), also exists, but its authenticity is questionable. Japanese mythology is a complex system of beliefs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amaterasu_cave_wide. ... This is a list of divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions. ... The following is a list of RyÅ« (dragons), Yōkai, Obake and YÅ«rei which are notable in Japanese mythology and folklore. ... Japanese mythology is a complex system of beliefs. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Illustration from otogizōshi tale, published c. ... Yotsuya Kaidan (四つ谷怪談) is a Japanese ghost story. ... Abe no Seimei ) (921?-1005?) was an onmyoji, a leading specialist of onmyodo during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. ... The Famous, the Unrivalled Hidari Jingoro (Meiyo migi ni teki nashi Hidari Jingoro); by Utagawa Kuniyoshi Hidari Jingoro (å·¦ 甚五郎 ひだり じんごろう) was a Japanese artist, sculptor and carpenter, active from 1596-1644. ... This article is about the Japanese folklore hero; for the Mortal Kombat character, see Kintaro (Mortal Kombat character). ... The kitsune Kuzunoha. ... Bisque doll of Momotarō Momotarō (桃太郎) is a hero from Japanese folklore. ... Jirokichi the Rat or Nezumi Kozo, (次郎吉 or ねずみ小僧, the latter literally meaning rat boy, ?? - 1832) is a Japanese folk hero, a legendary benevolent outlaw similar to the English Robin Hood. ... Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. ... A woodblock print of Tomoe Gozen in battle. ... Urashima Tarō ) is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the RyÅ«gÅ«-jō, the Dragon Palace. ... The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology. ... Amanonuhoko (Lit. ... Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (Japanese: 草薙の剣) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japans history as Excalibur is to Britains. ... The Sessho-seki (Japanese: 殺生石), or Killing Stone, is an object in Japanese mythology. ... The Tonbogiri ) is one of three legendary spears created by the famed swordsmith Masamune, said to be wielded by the daimyo Honda Tadakatsu. ... A representation of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. ... Horai is a place in Japanese mythology. ... Mount Hiei (Jp. ... Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san, IPA: [ɸuʝisaɴ]) is the highest mountain on the island of Honshu and indeed in all of Japan. ... Marker at site of Rashōmon The Rashōmon (羅生門 or 羅城門 Rajōmon;the castle gate) was formerly the grandest of the two city gates of the Japanese city of Kyoto during the Heian period. ... In Japanese legend, Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城) is the undersea palace of Ryujin, the dragon god of the sea. ... The Suzakumon Gate was the main gate of the imperial palace in the Japanese ancient capital of Fujiwarakyō, Nara, and later Kyoto. ... Takama-ga-hara (Japanese: 高天原), or The High Plain of Heaven, is a place in Japanese mythology. ... Yomi (黄泉), the Japanese word for underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits, is similar to Hades or hell and is most commonly known for Izanamis retreat to that place after her death. ... Japanese (,  ) is a language spoken by over 130 million people, mainly in Japan, but also by Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ... Kujiki ), or Sendai Kuji Hongi ), is an ancient Japanese historical text. ...

History

The Kojiki was presented by Ō no Yasumaro to Emperor Temmu in CE 680, based upon the events which had been memorized from the previous book, the Kujiki, and by those whom held the stories which had been passed down over generations, as well as stories which had been memorized by Hieda no Are in 712. Despite the fact that many note a difference in some precepts of the Kojiki and similar Chinese stories, it is thought that these may have been stories which had traveled and become known in areas of Japan and China. Nevertheless, the idea that the Kojiki mimics deities descending from China to Japan, is incorrect due to the fact that the Kojiki is a story detailing the creation of deities, and throughout Chamberlain's translation in 1882, the area in which the events were said to have unfolded is not explained, and is thought to occur upon the "island" or land-mass created by Izanami and Izanagi^[1] Emperor Temmu (天武天皇 Tenmu Tennō) (c. ... Events Ansprand succeeds Aripert as king of the Lombards. ...

Story of the Kojiki

Misconceptions

Many times, the Kojiki has been mistakenly referred to as "another version" of the Nihon Shoki, or as a reference of Japanese events, and thus labeled as an entirely Japanese religious text, and subsequently religion. However, it should be noted that the Kojiki itself is a text which details the creation of the Kami, their siblings, and the earth itself, and not the History of Japan itself. Despite the fact that the Nihongi details events of deities in Japan it should be thought of as a Japanese recollection of events, and not the entire encompass of the Shinto religion itself. Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ...

Creation

The very beginning of the Kojiki deals specifically with the precursory kami, which were created in the beginning upon the plane of high heaven. The creation of the plane of high heaven is said to have taken place amongst the events of the Kujiki, but was lost and is unknown. Megami redirects here. ...

It also contains various songs/poems. While the historical records and myths are written in a form of Chinese with a heavy admixture of Japanese elements, the songs are written with Chinese characters used to convey sounds only. This special use of Chinese characters is called Man'yōgana, a knowledge of which is critical to understanding these songs. These songs are in the dialect of the Yamato area from about 7th century to 8th century CE, a language called Jōdai Nihongo (lit. "upper age Japanese"). In English, this is most commonly called Old Japanese. 漢字 / 汉字 Chinese character in Hànzì, Kanji, Hanja, Hán Tá»±. Red in Simplified Chinese. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji Manyōgana (万葉仮名) is an ancient form of Japanese kana which uses Chinese characters to represent Japanese sounds. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

The Kojiki is divided into three parts: Kamitsumaki (lit. "upper roll"), Nakatsumaki (lit. "middle roll"), and Shimotsumaki (lit. "lower roll").

The Kamitsumaki includes the preface and is focused on the deities of creation and the births of various deities. A preface (Med. ...

The Nakatsumaki begins with the story of Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor, and his conquest of Japan, and ends with the 15th Emperor, Emperor Ōjin. Many of the stories it contains are mythological, and the allegedly historical information in them is highly suspect. For unknown reasons, the 2nd to 9th Emperors are listed but their achievements are largely missing. Meiji era print of Emperor Jimmu Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇 Jinmu Tennō; also known as: Kamuyamato Iwarebiko; given name: Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto, born according to legend on January 1, 711 BC, and died, again according to legend, on March 11, 585 BC,[citation needed] was the mythical founder... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito. ... Emperor ÅŒjin (応神天皇 ÅŒjin Tennō), or rather Ojin okimi was the 15th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ...

The Shimotsumaki covers the 16th to 33rd Emperors, and, unlike previous volumes, has very limited references to the interactions with deities which are so prominent in the first and second volumes. Information on the 24th to 33rd Emperors are largely missing as well.

In the Edo period, Motoori Norinaga studied the Kojiki intensively, the results of which were published in his Kojiki-den (Kojiki Commentary). It was first claimed in the Edo period that the Kojiki may have been forged later than it was supposed to have been written. The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Edo Period. ... Motoori Norinaga (Japanese: 本居宣長; 21 June 1730–5 November 1801) was a Japanese philologist and scholar during the Edo period. ...

The first and best-known English translation of the Kojiki was made by the renowned Japanologist Basil Hall Chamberlain. More recently, a well-regarded translation was made by Donald L. Philippi. It was published by Columbia University Press in October 1982 (ISBN 0-86008-320-9). Look up translate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Basil Hall Chamberlain (18 October 1850–15 February 1935), was a professor of Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. ... Also sometimes known as Slava Ranko A translator of Japanese and Ainu, known for his translation of the Kojiki. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

1. ^ The Kojiki itself should be read carefully. The first chapter details that the earth was created, and later chapters talk that when Amenonuhoku was dipped into the water, an island was created. This would suggest that the earth was mainly a body of water and then a land-mass was raised up (Onogoro).

• ↑  Chamberlain, B.H. (1882-1919) The Kojiki - translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain Public Domain (Published before copyright)
• ↑  Ono, Motonori Shinto: The Kami Way

See also

• mahoroba

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Kojiki

• The Internet Sacred Text Archive - An online version of Basil Hall Chamberlain's 1919 translation of Kojiki.