Kojiki (“Records of Ancient Matters”, compiled 712 CE), together with Nihon Shoki (“The Chronicles of Japan”, compiled 720 CE), is the earliest written record in Japanese history. Its value is immediately apparent,

“The Kojiki is not only an invaluable historical source and entertaining compilation of Japanese mythology, it is also the cornerstone of the Japanese indigenous Shinto religion, its gods and rituals. The stories are spectacular, exotic, mysterious and sometimes even comical”.

Pursuing Pure Japanese Spirit

The religious and ethical values of Kojiki were studied by Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801), the most eminent scholar of Shinto active during the Edo period (1603–1868). 

Norinaga was crucial to the Fukko Shinto movement, which aimed to revive traditional Japanese religious practices and beliefs that were thought to have existed before the arrival of foreign systems and ideologies like Buddhism and Confucianism.

Kamo no Mabuchi (1697–1769), under whom Norinaga was a pupil, maintained that eighth-century Manyoshu poetry was free of foreign influence and therefore expressed the genuine Japanese spirit and tradition without blemish. Norinaga, inspired by his teacher, also pursued a pure and “true” untainted Japanese culture: “If one should ask you concerning the spirit of a true Japanese, point to the wild cherry blossom shining in the sun”. 

Motoori maintained that this genuine spirit is found in Kojiki and other classical texts like Shinkokinshu (“The New Collection of Poetry Ancient and Modern”, 1205) and Genji Monogatari (“Tale of Genji”, c. eleventh century). Scrutinizing the Kojiki, Norinaga produced the Annotation of the Kojiki in 49 volumes. The Kojiki was first translated into English in 1882.

Compilation and Political Agenda

The Kojiki is the product of the commands of Emperor Temmu (r. 673–686 CE, d. 686) and was compiled from oral tradition in 712 CE. It is considered a sacred text of Japan’s “indigenous” or “native” Shinto (meaning the “kami way”) religion, owing itself to the storyteller Heida no Are (active during the late seventh and early eighth centuries) who recited stories and legends to O no Yasumaro (d. 723), a scribe and chronicler, who putatively put those stories to paper. 

The Kojiki contains information about ancient ceremonies, customs, divination, and magical practices. It holds many myths and legends, as well as (proto)historical information. The (proto)historical accounts focus on the imperial court from its earliest days up to the reign of Empress Suiko (554-628 CE, r. 593-628 CE), the first recorded reigning empress of Japan. 

The Kojiki’s political agenda is apparent in the “selection of stories and the way they were written down [that] were influenced by the political and social mores and priorities of the time”. This entailed editing legends and genealogies into a coherent account intended to demonstrate the supremacy of the ruling Yamato house. The Kojiki intended to demonstrate a line of descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu up to the imperial lineage and emperors of the seventh and eighth centuries CE. 

The Kojiki’s Creation Story

An important story is the creation of Japan’s islands by a pair of gods (kami), Izanagi and Izanami,

“All was chaos before the heaven and the earth came into existence. All was shapeless mass. Something light and transparent rose up and formed the heaven. The world resembled oil floating, jellyfish-like, upon the face of water. Then the heavenly deities were born. They were likewise born alone, and hid themselves. It took millions and millions of years before the earth was formed”.

“Like the sprouting of a reed, many more deities were born. Then Izanagi, the Male-Who-Invites Deity, and Izanami, the Female-Who-Invites Deity, were born. All the other heavenly deities summoned Izanagi and Izanami to consolidate the world, handing them a spear”.

“Izanagi and Izanami pushed down the spear and stirred the brine till it went curdle-curdle. The brine that dripped down from the spear piled up and became an island”.

The creation story also introduces the concept of death. Izanami gives birth to the fire god and is severely burned, which results in her death. She descends to the land of the dead, and her husband, Izanami, attempts to find her. When he does, she is horribly deformed.

The Gods

The content of Kojiki indicates animism, the belief that “everything in the world was seen as “animated” by a vitality that came from the spirit realm, so that all beautiful things could be worshipped as kami”. The text (including Nihon Shoki) indicates polytheism, the belief in many gods and spirits around whom diverse stories are narrated. 

Numerous gods are associated with nature, such as grain, mountains, trees, rivers, winds, fires, storms, and the ocean. Tsuki-yomi is the god of the moon; Susanoo is the god of rainstorms; Ohonamochi is the god of the earth (as is possibly Kuni-toko-tachi); and Asuha is an earth god. The chief sea god is Sokotsu-wata-dzumi, and the chief fire god is Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi has hill shrines dedicated to him, and his propitiation is believed to preserve cities from conflagration.

Sacred wells also have gods. Midzuha no me, the sacred-water female, oversees these wells, which leads to her being propitiated early on the morning of the New Year by small offerings. Yabune is a house god, while there are also gate gods guarding the household against the entrance of evil spirits and demons thought to inhabit forests and graveyards.

Amaterasu is unquestionably the top god in the pantheon. Amaterasu is said to be the supremely dignified Ruler of Heaven. She has a shrine of her own, Ise Grand Shrine, which is regarded as the most significant in all of Japan.

Clan Disagreement 

The political purpose and agenda behind the Kojiki’s compilation, as well as the disagreement it reflects, are notably evident among clans who felt that the text did not adequately highlight and convey their unique traditions. Since the Kojiki’s genealogy and histories are purportedly related to strong clans in and around the court, it cannot be considered to represent the beliefs and worldview of all the ancient Japanese people.

By monopolizing the sun goddess’s approval, the emperor’s clan could assert its power and dominance over any other and therefore justify its right to rule all of Japan.

The deities of peripheral groups were considered as barbarians to be subdued. These clans held services for a favorite kami who was performed by the clan chief. These clans developed their own unique works. To promote their own ancestors and customs, the Inbe clan, for instance, wrote the Kogoshui, and the Mononobe, the Sendai Kuji Hongi.