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The Emperor Who Put Japan's History in Writing: Emperor Tenmu and the Kojiki / Nihonshoki

Emperor Tenmu ordered the compilation of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki — Japan's foundation myths in writing. These two books became the basis of modern Japanese culture, Shinto, and the imperial institution. Why did he order them?

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Emperor Tenmu ordered the compilation of Japan’s origin myths, leading to the Kojiki (712) and Nihonshoki (720). The Kojiki was written in Japanese for domestic audiences; the Nihonshoki in Chinese for official and diplomatic use. Both books established the legitimacy of imperial rule through divine ancestry and remain the foundation of Shinto, Japanese culture, and the imperial institution 1,300 years later.

Horyuji, Nara — the Asuka-era Buddhist temple built in the same era as the Kojiki and Nihonshoki, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural treasure

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Horyuji Shaka Triad — masterpiece of Asuka Buddhist sculpture. Tenmu's ritsuryo state blended Buddhism and Shinto

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Asuka-period Buddha (birth statue) — Buddhist art from the same era when Tenmu ordered the compilation of Japan's foundational texts

Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

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Key Figures

Emperor Tenmu