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are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and
oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985 ...
presented to the reigning monarchs of Japan, also known as local gazetteers. They contain agricultural, geographical, and historical records as well as
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
and
folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, r ...
. ''Fudoki'' manuscripts also document local myths, rituals, and poems that are not mentioned in the ''
Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperi ...
'' and the '' Nihon Shoki'' chronicles, which are the most important literature of the ancient national mythology and history. In the course of national unification, the imperial court enacted a series of criminal and administrative codes called ''
ritsuryō , , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki' ...
'' and surveyed the provinces established by such codes to exert greater control over them.


Kofudoki

In the narrower sense, ''Fudoki'' refer to the oldest records written in the
Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara, Nara, Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remai ...
, later called (Old-Fudoki). Compilation of ''Kofudoki'' began in 713 and was completed over a 20-year period. Following the
Taika Reform The were a set of doctrines established by Emperor Kōtoku (孝徳天皇 ''Kōtoku tennō'') in the year 645. They were written shortly after the death of Prince Shōtoku and the defeat of the Soga clan (蘇我氏 ''Soga no uji''), uniting Jap ...
in 646 and the Code of Taihō enacted in 701, there was need to centralize and solidify the power of the imperial court. This included accounting for lands under its control. According to the ''
Shoku Nihongi The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the '' Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by '' Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Ma ...
'', Empress Genmei issued a decree in 713 ordering each to collect and report the following information: *Names of districts and townships *Natural resources and living things *Land fertility *Etymology of names for geographic features, such as mountains, plains, and rivers *Myths, legends, and folktales told orally by old people


Names

Empress Genmei ordered in 713 that place names in the provinces, districts, and townships be written in two
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subse ...
characters with positive connotations. This occasionally required name changes. For example, became and became .


Manuscripts

At least 48 of the
Gokishichidō was the name for ancient administrative units organized in Japan during the Asuka period (AD 538–710), as part of a legal and governmental system borrowed from the Chinese. Though these units did not survive as administrative structures beyo ...
provinces contributed to their records but only that of Izumo remains nearly complete. Partial records of Hizen, Bungo, Harima and
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
remain and a few passages from various volumes remain scattered throughout various books. Those of Harima and Hizen are designated
National Treasures National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
. Below is a list of extant manuscripts and scattered passages.国土としての始原史~風土記逸文


Kinai

* Yamashiro Province: ''Yamashiro no Kuni Fudoki'' 山城国風土記 *
Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, ...
: ''Yamato no Kuni Fudoki'' 大和国風土記 *
Settsu Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises the southeastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. It was also referred to as or . Osaka and Osaka Castle were the main center of the province. Most of Setts ...
: ''Settsu no Kuni Fudoki'' 摂津国風土記


Tōkaidō

* Iga Province: ''Iga no Kuni Fudoki'' 伊賀国風土記 * Ise Province: ''Ise no Kuni Fudoki'' 伊勢国風土記 * Shima Province: ''Shima no Kuni Fudoki'' 志摩国風土記 * Owari Province: ''Owari no Kuni Fudoki'' 尾張国風土記 *
Mikawa Province was an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mikawa''" in . Its abbreviated form name was . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces. M ...
: ''Mikawa no Kuni Fudoki'' 参河(三河)国風土記 * Suruga Province: ''Suruga no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:駿河国風土記 *
Izu Province was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Izu''" in . Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising th ...
: ''Izu no Kuni Fudoki'' 伊豆国風土記 * Kai Province: ''Kai no Kuni Fudoki'' 甲斐国風土記 *
Sagami Province was a province of Japan located in what is today the central and western Kanagawa Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kanagawa''" at . Sagami Province bordered the provinces of Izu, Musashi, and Suruga. It had access to the Pac ...
: ''Sagami no Kuni Fudoki'' 相模国風土記 * Shimōsa Province: ''Shimousa no Kuni Fudoki'' 下総国風土記 * Kazusa Province: ''Kazusa no Kuni Fudoki'' 上総国風土記 *
Hitachi Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa (Lower Fusa), Shimotsuke, and Mutsu ( Iwase - ...
: ''Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:常陸国風土記


Tōsandō

*
Ōmi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countri ...
: ''Ōmi no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:近江国風土記 *
Mino Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbrevia ...
: ''Mino no Kuni Fudoki'' 美濃国風土記 * Hida Province: ''Hida no Kuni Fudoki'' 飛騨国風土記 *
Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo Province, Echigo, Etchū Province, Etchū, Hida Province, Hida, Kai Province, Kai, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Mikawa Province, Mikawa, Mino Province, Mi ...
: ''Shinano no Kuni Fudoki'' 信濃国風土記 *
Michinoku Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the combi ...
: ''Michinoku no Kuni Fudoki'' 陸奥国風土記


Hokurikudō

* Wakasa Province: ''Wakasa no Kuni Fudoki'' 若狭国風土記 * Echizen Province: ''Echizen no Kuni Fudoki'' 越前国風土記 *
Echigo Province was an old provinces of Japan, old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen Province, Uzen, Iwashiro Province, Iwashiro, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Shinano Province, Shinano, and Etchū Province, ...
: ''Echigo no Kuni Fudoki'' 越後国風土記


San'indō

* Tango Province: ''Tango no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:丹後国風土記 * Inaba Province: ''Inaba no Kuni Fudoki'' 因幡国風土記 * Hōki Province: ''Hōki no Kuni Fudoki'' 伯耆国風土記 * Izumo Province: ''Izumo no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:出雲国風土記 * Iwami Province: ''Iwami no Kuni Fudoki'' 石見国風土記


San'yōdō

* Harima Province: ''Harima no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:播磨国風土記 * Mimasaka Province: ''Mimasaka no Kuni Fudoki'' 美作国風土記 * Bizen Province: ''Bizen no Kuni Fudoki'' 備前国風土記 * Bitchū Province: ''Bitchū no Kuni Fudoki'' 備中国風土記 *
Bingo Province was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of western Honshū, comprising what is today the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes grouped together with Bizen and Bitchu Provinces as . The 備 ''bi'' in the names of these p ...
: ''Bingo no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:備後国風土記


Nankaidō

*
Kii Province , or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato ...
: ''Kii no Kuni Fudoki'' 紀伊国風土記 * Awaji Province: ''Awaji no Kuni Fudoki'' 淡路国風土記 * Awa Province (Tokushima): ''Awa no Kuni Fudoki'' 阿波国風土記 * Sanuki Province: ''Sanuki no Kuni Fudoki'' 讃岐国風土記 * Iyo Province: ''Iyo no Kuni Fudoki'' 伊予国風土記 * Tosa Province: ''Tosa no Kuni Fudoki'' 土佐国風土記


Saikaidō

*
Chikuzen Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provi ...
: ''Chikuzen no Kuni Fudoki'' 筑前国風土記 * Chikugo Province: ''Chikugo no Kuni Fudoki'' 筑後国風土記 *
Buzen Province was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces. History The ruins of the ancient capital ...
: ''Buzen no Kuni Fudoki'' 豊前国風土記 *
Bungo Province was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces. History At the end of the 7th century, Toyo ...
: ''Bungo no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:豊後国風土記 * Hizen Province: ''Hizen no Kuni Fudoki'' :ja:肥前国風土記 * Higo Province: ''Higo no Kuni Fudoki'' 肥後国風土記 * Hyūga Province: ''Hyūga no Kuni Fudoki'' 日向国風土記 * Ōsumi Province: ''Ōsumi no Kuni Fudoki'' 大隅国風土記 * Satsuma Province: ''Satsuma no Kuni Fudoki'' 薩摩国風土記 *
Iki Province was a province of Japan which consisted of the Iki Islands, now a part of modern Nagasaki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Iki''" in . Its abbreviated name was . Iki is classified as one of the provinces of the Saikaidō. ...
: ''Iki no Kuni Fudoki'' 壱岐国風土記


Parks

In 1966 the
Agency for Cultural Affairs The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. The agency's budget for FY 2018 rose to ¥107.7 billion. Overview The ...
called on the prefectural governments to build open-air museums and parks called near historic sites such as tombs ('' kofun'') and provincial temples. These archaeological museums preserve and exhibit cultural properties to enhance public understanding of provincial history and culture.


See also

* Japanese Historical Text Initiative


Notes


References

* * *


External links


風土記
Big5 Chinese) texts of the remaining Fudoki & scattered passages in other books. *Manuscript scans at Waseda University Library
Hizen, 1800
*



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