is a historical record of the Inbe clan. It was composed by Inbe no Hironari in 807

807

Year 807 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* After the death of Cuthred, king Coenwulf of Mercia takes control over Kent himself....

.

Background

Historically, both the Inbe and Nakatomi

Nakatomi clan

The Nakatomi clan was an influential clan in Classical Japan. Along with the Inbe clan, the Nakatomi were one of two priestly clans which oversaw certain important national rites, and one of many to claim descent from divine clan ancestors "only a degree less sublime than the imperial ancestors"...

 clans had long performed religious services for the court. However, at the beginning of the Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

, the Fujiwara clan, whom the Nakatomi clan are a branch of, seized political power. This strengthened the Nakatomi clan while weakening the Inbe clan and caused conflict between the two clans.

Hironari wrote this text to clarify the history and legitimize the rights of the Inbe clan as well as to argue the injustice of the Nakatomi clan and decline of the Inbe clan. He presented it to Emperor Heizei

Emperor Heizei

, also known as Heijō-tennō. was the 51st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Heizei's reign lasted from 806 to 809.-Traditional narrative:...

 in 807.

Contents

The text consists of three major sections:

1. The historical events of clan ancestor Amenofutodama no Mikoto and his grandson Amamito no Mikoto.
2. A description of the national history from Emperor Jinmu
   Emperor Jimmu
   was the first Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko and personally as Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto....
   
    through Emperor Tenmu
   Emperor Temmu
   was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...
   
   .
3. Eleven points of discontent with the Nakatomi clan and the decline of the Inbe clan.

The first two sections serve as evidence and reference for legitimatizing the third and main section.

Value

The historical events described within the text are nearly identical with those found in Kojiki

Kojiki

is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...

and Nihon Shoki

Nihon Shoki

The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...

. However, there are several events unique to this text so it serves as a supplement to the national histories.

Linguistically, the text contains a large number of old words written in man'yōgana which make it a valuable resource for studying Old Japanese

Old Japanese

is the oldest attested stage of the Japanese language.This stage in the development of Japanese is still actively studied and debated, and key Old Japanese texts, such as the Man'yōshū, remain obscure in places.-Dating:...

.

External links

• Scans of manuscript, Waseda University Library
  Waseda University Library
  The library of Waseda University is one of the largest libraries in Japan. It was established in 1882, and currently holds some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials.-History:...