ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Completed in 720 CE the ‘Chronicles of Japan’ (in Japanese Nihon shoki or Nihongi) is the second-oldest work of Japanese history, after the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Things).

Detailed explanation-2: -Nihon shoki, also called Nihon-gi, (Japanese: “Chronicles of Japan”), text that, together with the Kojiki (q.v.), comprises the oldest official history of Japan, covering the period from its mythical origins to ad 697. The Nihon shoki, written in Chinese, reflects the influence of Chinese civilization on Japan.

Detailed explanation-3: -The earliest work of Japanese history is attributed to Prince Shōtoku, who is said to have written the Tennōki and the Kokki in 620 CE. The earliest extant work is the Kojiki of 712. The Nihon Shoki followed by 720.

Detailed explanation-4: -The oldest surviving works are two historical records, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, which were completed in the early 8th century. In the 11th century, during the peak of the Heian Period, the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in Japan.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, 712) and Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan, 720) are important for their content – a mix of myth, legend, and history, interspersed with poetry – and for the very different styles in which they were written.