What is Kojiki?
Q: What is Kojiki?
A: Kojiki or Furukotofumi is the oldest book known in Japan, written in 712 CE, and dedicated to Empress Gemmei. It is a book about Japanese mythology (Shinto), legends, songs, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 BCE.
Q: What is the content of the Kojiki?
A: Kojiki covers varied topics such as Japanese mythology (Shinto), legends, songs, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts.
Q: Who is the Kojiki dedicated to?
A: Kojiki is dedicated to Empress Gemmei.
Q: Who are the emperors of Japan descended from according to the legend in the Kojiki?
A: According to legend, all the emperors of Japan are descended from Amaterasu, the sun goddess.
Q: Is it difficult to distinguish the real parts from the legends in the Kojiki?
A: Yes, it is difficult to know which parts of the Kojiki are real and which parts are legend.
Q: What language is Kojiki written in?
A: Kojiki is written in Chinese, but the way the Japanese wrote it is by using the pronunciation of the Chinese characters and not the meanings of them.
Q: Can a person who can read Chinese read Kojiki?
A: No, a person who can read Chinese cannot read Kojiki unless they also know how to speak Japanese because Kojiki includes many Japanese names and some phrases.
