{"product_id":"the-kojiki-records-of-ancient-matters-tuttle-classics-9780804836753","title":"The Kojiki: Records of Ancient Matters (Tuttle Classics)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWritten by imperial command in the eighth century  The Kojiki: Records of Ancient Matters is Japans classic of classics  the oldest connected literary work and the fundamental scripture of Shinto.  A more factual history called the Nihongi or Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) was completed in A.D. 720  but The Kojiki remains the better known  perhaps because of its special concern with the legends of the gods  with the divine descent of the imperial family  and with native Shinto. Both works have immense value as records of the development of Japan into a unified state with a well-defined character. Indeed  even the mythological aspects were accepted as fact throughout most of subsequent Japanese historyuntil the defeat and disillusionment of the nation in 1945.  This classic text is a key to the historical roots of the Japanese peopletheir early life and the development of their character and institutionsas well as a lively mixture of legend and history  genealogy  and poetry. It stands as one of the greatest monuments of Japanese literature because it preserves more faithfully than any other book the mythology  manners  language and traditions of Japan. It provides  furthermore  a vivid account of a nation in the making.  The work opens \"when chaos had begun to condense  but force and form were not yet manifest  and there was nought named  nought done \" It recounts the mythological creation of Japan by the divine brother and sister Izanami and Izanagi; tales of the Sun Goddess and other deities; the divine origin of Jimmu the first emperor; and the histories of subsequent reigns. Epic material is complemented by a fresh bucolic vein expressed in songs and poetry.  This famous translation by the British scholar Basil Hall Chamberlain is enhanced by notes on the text and an extensive introduction discussing early Japanese society  as well as The Kojiki and its background. Important for its wealth of information  The Kojiki is indispensable to anyone interested in things Japanese.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45652253671477,"sku":"ByrdShop_0804836752","price":87.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780804836753.jpg?v=1781850331","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-kojiki-records-of-ancient-matters-tuttle-classics-9780804836753","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}