The Kojiki or ‘Record of Ancient Matters’ is the oldest surviving history of Japan and was presented as a complete work in 712. The first two sections deal with stories about the Shinto gods, the creation of Japan, and events (mostly mythological) up to the 5th century. As history, the last section, covering the period from the mid-5th to early 7th centuries, is most accurate. The book is valued both as a piece of literature and as a history. It was translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain as ‘Translation of “Ko-ji-ki”, or “Records of Ancient Matters”‘ in 1918.
