Nihon shoki 日本書紀

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 Or.64.d.3
  • Dates of Creation
      1610
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      2 volumes Condition: Good. Some worm damage, mostly repaired. Upper margins and inner (binding) edges of all folios in maki 1-2 (Jindai no maki) have been cropped, and each folio rebacked (urauchi) with new paper to extend folios to the same height as other maki. Some damaged folios here and there throughout the text, repaired by partial urauchi. Impression: Sharp and clear, but with signs of type wear in the first two maki. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Corporate compilation. Imprint: Rakuzei [Kyōto] , Sanpaku, Keichō 15, 1610. Kanki on fol. 34b of maki 30 reads: 慶長十五庚戌仲夏念八 ／ 洛汭野子三白誌. [N.b. This kanki relates to maki 3-30 only, of the present copy; not to maki 1-2, Jindai no maki 神代巻.] See under Edition below. Description: 30 kan, formerly in 13 satsu, now rebound in 2 vols. (western style). 27.6 x 20 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame (maki 1-2) 21 x 15 cm; (maki 3-30) 23.3 × 16.5 cm. Double-line borders round all four sides, with fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text without kunten. 8 lines to page, 17 characters to line (maki 1-2), 18 characters to line (maki 3-30). Original covers not preserved. Renewed light-brown covers streaked with white (late-Edo period) of satsu 1 (maki 1) and satsu 7 (maki 14-15) only, within western style half-leather binding. No title slips. Manuscript gedai (on surviving covers): Nihon shoki 1 (and 14-15) 日本書紀一 (十四之十五). Hashiragaki: Nihongi 日本紀＋ maki no. (on maki 3-30) ＋ folio no. Edition: An amalgam (hohai 補配) of two editions. The first two maki (Jindai no maki 神代巻) were published separately, at a date earlier than Keichō 15 (1610), and used together with newly composed type for maki 3-30 to print the first complete edition of Nihon shoki. The present copy therefore belongs to the earliest printing of the Keichō 15 edition. Contents: The earliest official history of Japan, written in classical Chinese, covering events from the mythical ''''Age of the gods'''' to the reign of Empress Jitō (686-97). Compiled by various hands and completed c. 720.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Ernest M. Satow, 22 Sept. 1884.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). C. Japanese works 和書 9. History and biography 歴史・伝記 a. Early records 古代史

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 4, pp. 625-30; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 580-5, 921-6, pl. 988, 992; Tenri toshokan kisho mokuroku 天理図書館稀書目録, vol. 1, p. 91, vol. 3, p. 126; Ryūmon bunko zenpon shomoku 竜門文庫善本書目, p. 165.