Kojiki

The Kojiki , also sometimes read as Furukotofumi or Furukotobumi, 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. The preface of the book claims it was composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei in the early 8th century (711–712). It is therefore usually considered to be the oldest extant literary work in Japan. The book is written in Classical Chinese, though it includes some songs and poems in Old Japanese that are transcribed phonetically using Chinese characters.

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