The six national histories of Japan /

A superb translation of a meticulous exegesis of the Six National Histories, compiled as separate accounts from 681 to 901. Sakamoto devotes most of his discourse to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), which, together with the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), served as the bible of prewar Shinto nationalists. The authenticity of these works have been questioned by scholars like Tsuda Sokichi. Although Sakamoto refuses to dismiss the Nihon Shoki out of hand, he admits that these histories were compiled to "reflect the power of the government," and the quality of authenticity is not high. By meticulously examining the accounts Sakamoto seeks to verify, whenever possible, questionable passages, to ferret out entries that are concoctions, and to identify passages that have been embellished and adopted from Chinese histories. The first half of the Nihon Shoki deals with the age of the gods, and the era of the mythical emperor, Jinmu. These accounts are generally recognized as fairy tales but Sakamoto contends that "some myths retain the memory of historical facts." The remaining five histories, "which are more solid histories," are also scrutinized carefully. For nonspecialists much of the discourse will be tedious and arcane. Its value lies in the textual analysis of the Nihon Shoki. Notes.-M. Hane, Knox College