27-574: Jinnō Shōtōki ( 神皇正統記 , "Chronicles of the Authentic Lineages of the Divine Emperors" ) is a Japanese historical book written by Kitabatake Chikafusa . The work sought both to clarify the genesis and potential consequences of a contemporary crisis in Japanese politics, and to dispel or at least ameliorate the prevailing disorder. The text begins with these statements as prologue: Great Japan
54-607: A history of Japan and a number of works defending the right of Go-Daigo's line to the throne, Kitabatake fought in defense of the Southern Court as a member of the Murakami branch of the Minamoto clan . Kitabatake, in his writings, held a strong distaste for the Ashikaga clan , the ruling family at the time who held the position of shōgun and maintained a rival Imperial court known as
81-639: A total of 397. The whole work comprises 397 volumes and 5 volumes of index, total 402 volumes printed. The book is one of the major scholarly works of the Edo period, and laid the foundation of the Mito school (Mitogaku) and Kokugaku . Aizawa Seishisai a Japanese nationalist thinker from Mito school, also worked on the play. It is heavily influenced by Confucianism , especially the later Neo-Confucianism under Zhu Xi . Ming loyalist Zhu Zhiyu's disciples were directly associated with this project. However, instead of focusing on
108-629: Is a book on the history of Japan written in Classical Chinese . It was begun in the 17th century and was completed by 1715 by Tokugawa Mitsukuni , the head of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family . The format of the book closely resembles the Chinese literary histories in form and structure and is considered extremely accurate. After his death, the work was continued by the Mito branch until its completion in
135-426: Is believed that the significant portions of the text were probably drafted in the autumn of 1339, around the time Emperor Go-Daigo died and his successor Go-Murakami was enthroned. Current scholars accept that the original text is missing and that all extant versions of the text thus are manuscript versions that differ slightly from the original. A sense of immediacy seems to inform the writing, and this may be due to
162-536: Is described, together with personal observations by Chikafusa based on his own political and ethical beliefs. The chronicles thus serve as a context for Chikafusa to expound his views about appropriate conduct for Japanese sovereigns, and thereby attempt to justify the legitimacy of the Southern Court . The book greatly encouraged the faction supporting the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period. Chikafusa's work
189-401: Is the divine land. The heavenly progenitor founded it, and the sun goddess bequeathed it to her descendants to rule eternally. Only in our country is this true; there are no similar examples in other countries. This is why our country is called the divine land. Chikafusa had been a careful student of the book Nihon Shoki (日本書紀, "The Chronicles of Japan" ), and this background is reflected in
216-490: The Meiji era . The work starts with Emperor Jimmu , the legendary first emperor of Japan, and covers the first hundred emperors, ending with Emperor Go-Komatsu after the merging of the Southern Court and Northern Court in 1392. The fundamental part, that is, the narration of historical events, occupies the first 73 volumes, the rest constitutes a supplement of which 170 volumes are biographies, 126 descriptions and 28 tables,
243-519: The Northern Court . This disdain came not only because they were warriors rather than nobles, who were clumsy and uncouth at court, but because they were of a less distinguished branch of the famous Minamoto clan than Kitabatake's own Murakami branch. In particular, he disliked Ashikaga Takauji , the first Ashikaga shogun, who had originally supported Go-Daigo's claim to the Throne, but who ultimately headed
270-468: The Taihō Era , in 702, before the rise of feudalism and military rule. He recognized that certain privileges gained by the bushi (great warrior families) and kuge (court nobility) in that time would not be relinquished, but he did seek to abolish the systems of land tenure and tax collection that supported the power of the bushi . Kitabatake viewed the bushi , and by extension the bakufu ( shogunate ),
297-602: The Northern Court and sought to destroy all who supported the Emperor's Southern Court. Kitabatake also wrote of Nitta Yoshisada , one of the greatest military supporters of Go-Daigo, in a bad light. He saw Nitta as a warrior, little different from the Shoguns, but also accused him of never being available when the Emperor called upon him. Had Nitta been more available in the south of the country, instead of fighting his own battles in
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#1732848663344324-471: The Southern Court's legitimacy. It was largely written on the road, and recompiled and edited in 1343. One of the issues it addressed was the chaotic and unbalanced distribution of land, which he blamed on the government. But he also blamed the government officials and feudal lords who claimed the land. He wrote that seeking rewards was not part of proper behavior, and that it was a warrior's place to give up land and even his life for duty. He also claimed that
351-423: The chaos of feudalism was derived, ultimately, from an unlimited number of people claiming a limited amount of land. Kitabatake's other major work, Shokugen-shō , was also written in 1339, largely from memory, as the author, under siege in his home province, was unable to perform research at Court. It described the origins and organization of governmental offices and structures, as well as the author's opinions on
378-478: The course of the centuries. Chikafusa's work manages to inspire; and because it does, the book effectively mirrors the serial responses of readers and thinkers throughout the periods in which it has been studied and pondered. Alternately, the work's value may have accrued because a gifted, original and mature mind "made its way onto the level of secular historical explanation". Kitabatake Chikafusa Kitabatake Chikafusa ( 北畠 親房 , March 8, 1293 – June 1, 1354)
405-459: The development of the Kō Koku Shi Kan (皇国史観), a view of history in which Japan is regarded as a divine nation governed by emperors in a single family line from its beginning. These concepts became even more important in the national ideology under Japanese militarism during World War II. Today, Jinnō Shōtōki stands on its own literary and historical merits. It has taken on added value over
432-578: The legitimacy of the Northern Court. Tokugawa Mitsukuni , the Edo-period daimyō of the Mito Domain , valued Chikafusa's work highly, a view which he expressed in the Japanese chronicle Dai Nihonshi (大日本史): "History of Great Japan" . Mitsukuni's patronage ensured that the perspectives and ideology of Jinnō Shōtōki were propounded at the Mito Academy (水戸学). These pre-Meiji influences contributed to
459-458: The military government, as enemies of the throne . In 1339, he wrote Jinnō Shōtōki , a chronicle which relates the history of Japan through analysis of the Imperial reigns, from the earliest legendary semi-mythical emperors down to Daigō II (Emperor Go-Daigo) and his successor Murakami II (Emperor Go-Murakami). It was intended largely as a guide to the young Murakami, and as a treatise defending
486-405: The narrative having a specific, more narrowly focused purpose—to instruct the young Emperor Go-Murakami (r. 1339-1368). A curious sentence on the last page of the work, "This book is directed to some child", has been interpreted as a dedication to either Go-Murakami or Yuki Chikatomo . In Jinnō Shōtōki , the reign of each emperor from the mythological period to the enthronement of Go-Murakami
513-610: The narrative structure of his Jinnō Shōtōki . He was also well acquainted with Watarai Ieyuki (度会家行), a prominent Shinto priest at the Ise Shrine . Watarai's life of study significantly clarified the theory of Ise Shinto , and this point-of-view is reflected in the tone of Jinnō Shōtōki. The work as a whole was written in the years 1338–1341 at Oda fortress in Hitachi Province , Japan (present-day Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture ) and then amended in 1343 at Seki fortress. It
540-403: The north, Kitabatake claims, Nitta could have prevented the death of his son Akiie . When Go-Daigo died in 1339, Kitabatake was under siege in his stronghold in Hitachi Province . He sent copies of his major works to the new emperor, twelve-year-old Emperor Go-Murakami , advising him and his advisors. Though he is most well known for his writings and his role as Imperial advisor, Kitabatake
567-441: The promotion and appointment of officials. Kitabatake is considered one of the greatest men of his time, along with his rival Ashikaga Takauji . Though his works are heavily colored by his personal bias and political motives, they are some of the most detailed accounts available on the history of Japan's feudal government and Imperial line. Dai Nihonshi The Dai Nihonshi (大日本史), literally History of Great Japan ,
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#1732848663344594-494: The subject of land ownership. In one document he denounces the Provincial Shugo and Jitō (Constables and Stewards) as land-hungry, and writes that the creation of this system in 1190 altered the traditional state of the country, and caused it to lose the art of government. Though the full details of his ideas for reform are unknown, it is likely that Kitabatake sought a return to the governmental structures set down during
621-486: Was a Japanese court noble and writer of the 14th century who supported the Southern Court in the Nanboku-cho period, serving as advisor to five Emperors . Some of his greatest and most famous work was performed during the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo , under whom he proposed a series of reforms, amounting to a revival or restoration of political and economic systems of several centuries earlier. In addition to authoring
648-433: Was all the more important because of the relative weakness of the Southern Court in its extended military campaign against the Northern Court armies. The book was early recognized as a compelling and subtle analysis of the history of Japan and its emperors. From the very beginning, it was read not only by adherents of the Southern Court, but also by supporters of the Northern Court. However, its criticism of Ashikaga Takauji
675-433: Was also a competent commander in battle, and held off the superior forces of the shogunate on many occasions. The siege of Hitachi lasted four years, and though his fortress ultimately fell to the supporters of the shogunate, Kitabatake escaped to Yoshino , the capital of the Southern Court, where he advised the Emperor until his own death in 1354. In his writings on the legitimate imperial lineage, Kitabatake delved into
702-473: Was demonstrably ideal, and that it is both appropriate and beneficial for the emperor and court nobles to rule and for the samurai and others to be led by them. After the Northern and Southern courts were reunited, a curious, self-styled "sequel" to Jinnō Shōtōki was circulated. The book, written by Ozuki Harutomi (小槻晴富), was created under the influence of the Ashikaga shogunate for the purpose of justifying
729-458: Was not well received in Northern Court circles, and that section of the original text was omitted in manuscript copies which circulated outside the ambit of the Southern Court. Chikafusa argued that possessing the Imperial Regalia of Japan is an absolute and indispensable condition for being recognized as a Japanese monarch. Chikafusa contended that much about the Japanese form of government
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