Kojiki

Also known as Records of Ancient Matters, An Account of Ancient Matters, Koji-ki

The , also sometimes read as ' or ', is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts dating as far back as 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the kami, and the Japanese imperial line. It is claimed in its preface to have been composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei in the early 8th century (711–712), and thus is usually considered to be the oldest extant literary work in Japan.

AI overview

The Kojiki is Japan's oldest surviving written work, compiled in the early 8th century, and contains a collection of myths, legends, genealogies, and accounts about the origins of the Japanese islands, the kami (spirits), and the imperial line. It matters because it preserves Japan's earliest recorded traditions and mythology, serving as a foundational historical and cultural document for understanding Japanese civilization.

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Book · Open Library

First published: 1973
Editions: 1
Subjects: Japanese ballads and songs., Kojiki.

via Open Library

Wikidata facts

Image: Shinpukuji-bon Kojiki (真福寺本古事記).png

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title: 古事記
Commons category: Kojiki
inception: 0712-00-00

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~20 min read

Article

16 sections

Contents

Composition
Purpose
Transmission and study
Manuscripts
Structure
Sections
Synopsis
Preface ({{lang|ja-Hani|序}})
The Kamitsumaki ({{lang|ja-Hani|上巻}}), or first volume
The Nakatsumaki ({{lang|ja-Hani|中巻}}), or second volume
The Shimotsumaki ({{lang|ja-Hani|下巻}}), or final volume
English-language translations
See also
Notes
References
External links

The myths contained in the as well as the Nihon Shoki are part of the inspiration behind many practices and unified "Shinto orthodoxy". Later, they were incorporated into Shinto practices such as the purification ritual.