is a historical clan record of the Takahashi clan. It served as an appeal for court arbitration between two fighting clans.
The author(s) is unknown, but the contents suggest that it was composed prior to 789. The text only survives today in fragments quoted in other texts such as , , and .
Both the Takahashi and Azumi clans served in the
Royal Table Office. Conflict between the two clans erupted with many conflicts occurring after 716. Seeking arbitration and a resolution to the conflict, both clans submitted their clan records to the imperial court. This is the Takahashi record; the Azumi clan record is unknown.
Contents
Pieced together, the text consists of three major sections:
*Takahashi clan ancestor Iwakamutsukari no Mikoto served
Emperor Keikō
, also known as and , was the 12th legendary Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Both the ''Kojiki'', and the ''Nihon Shoki'' (collectively known as the ''Kiki'') record events that took place during Keikō's all ...
meals and received the title "Kashiwade" (chief).
*The imperial proclamation after Iwakamutsukari died.
*A record of the 792 arbitration by the
Department of State regarding the conflicts between the two clans.
Value
The text is highly valued as the oldest existing clan record. In addition, the ''
Nihon Shoki'' (720) makes reference to the Kashiwade clan,
[Sakamoto, Tarō ''et al.'' (1965). ''Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Nihon Shoki,'' p. 510.] a title bestowed up the Takahashi clan. This suggests the possibility that the Takahashi clan record, at least in part, was used as a reference in compiling ''Nihon Shoki'' while also suggesting that parts of it may be even older.
Linguistically, the text includes a number of passages utilizing the archaic
Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
is an archaic kana orthography system used to write Japanese during the Nara period. Its primary feature is to distinguish between two groups of syllables that later merged.
The existence and meaning of this system is a critical point of schol ...
spellings. However, there are some inconsistencies which indicate that parts of it date to a late 8th century.
See also
*
Historiography of Japan
The historiography of Japan ( ') is the study of methods and hypotheses formulated in the study and literature of the history of Japan.
The earliest work of Japanese history is attributed to Prince Shōtoku, who is said to have written the ''Ten ...
References
Further reading
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*
External links
''Takahashi Ujibumi'' online edition
{{Authority control
Nara period
8th-century history books
Old Japanese texts
Arbitration
T
Shinto texts
Lost books