The Six National Histories of Japan chronicle the history of Japan from its origins in the 'Age of the Gods' to A.D. 887. Compiled in the imperial court during the eighth and ninth centuries by leading scholars and officials of the day, they have exerted a profound effect on Japanese thought for well over a millenium. In his book, renowned historian Taro Sakamoto interpreted modern scholarly findings, as well as presenting his own views, thus completing the modern re-evaluation of the controversial first history. His study is the only one to survey all six histories, identifying common features and pointing out the special characteristics of each. John Brownlee's translation makes available to English readers a valuable study of the Six National Histories which also provides insights into the methods of contemporary Japanese historians.

The Six National Histories of Japan (Rikkokushi) was written in 1970 by one of Japan's foremost historical scholars. Sakamoto Taro. An authoritative study of Japan's first scholarly works and a modern classic, it is now translated into English for the first time. The Six National Histories chronicle the history of Japan from its origins in the 'Age of the Gods' to A.D. 887. Written in Classical Chinese, they were compiled in the imperial court during the eighth and ninth centuries by leading scholars and officials of the day. Until the late nineteenth-century each of the Six National Histories was accepted as an authoritative work containing the absolute truth about the past. They have therefore exerted a profound effect on Japanese thought for well over a millenium. In the twentieth-century, particularly since 1945 when state censorship ended, scholars have focused on the first of the Six National Histories, Nihon Shoki, rejecting its authenticity. In his book, Sakamoto interpreted modern scholarly findings, as well as presenting his own views, thus completing the modern re-evaluation of this controversial first work. The remaining five works form a subgroup. Sakamoto's study has been the only one to survey all of them, identifying common features and pointing out the special characteristics of each. John Brownlee's meticulous translation of Sakamoto's seminal work is supplemented by an informative introduction, notes, appendices, and an index. The translation makes available to English readers a valuable study of the Six National Histories which also provides insights into the methods of contemporary Japanese historians.

This volume provides the most comprehensive treatment in Western literature of the Heian period, the Japanese imperial court's golden age.

Covering the period from before the emergence of the first political units through to the formation of the Japanese ritsuryo state in the 8th century, this book offers a ground-breaking scholarly diachronic analysis of tsumi (offence and retribution) from a politico-historical perspective. Taking as its starting point the native forms of tsumi in the realms of myth and prayer, the study traces their development through the periods of the formation of the state and the centralization of the governing structure, to the introduction of a written-law system of governing. Through detailed and logical analysis this study illuminates early Japanese political thought, written and unwritten law and the essentially political notion of tsumi.

Focusing on the ancient, medieval, and early-modern eras, this collection considers the beginnings of Sino-Japanese Relations in the Ancient East Asian World, focusing on changes of the East Asian international system. It examines the establishment of the East Asian International Order in the 7th Century and the advance of Sino- Japanese relations in medieval times. It also considers the impact of initial contact with modern Western powers on modernization, and examines the points of rupture which deeply affected both cultures, for China the Opium War, and for Japan it the Black Ships of Commodore Matthew Perry and the Meiji Restoration. Based on research conducted jointly by Chinese and Japanese scholars, this collection provides a unique insight into the development of Chinese and Japanese culture from comparative perspectives, offering an in-depth study of the countries’ political, religious and societal structures to deepen objective perception toward history and promote mutual understanding in East Asia.

Survey of the historical events and developments in medieval Japan's polity, economy, society and culture.

This short history of history is an ideal introduction for those studying or teaching the subject as part of courses on the historian's craft, historical theory and method, and historiography. Spanning the earliest known forms of historical writing in the ancient Near East right through to the present and covering developments in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, it also touches on the latest topics and debates in the field, such as 'Big History', 'Deep History' and the impact of the electronic age. It features timelines listing major dynasties or regimes throughout the world alongside historiographical developments; guides to key thinkers and seminal historical works; further reading; a glossary of terms; and sample questions to promote further debate at the end of each chapter. This is a truly global account of the process of progressive intercultural contact that led to the hegemony of Western historiographical methods.