Fragment of the First Volume of the Nihon Shoki Age of the

Fragment of Nihon Shoki, Volume 1 (Age of Gods, Upper Scroll): A Window into Japan's Oldest Written Mythology

Among Japan's most precious literary treasures stands a small but extraordinary fragment of parchment held privately in Tokyo. Designated an Important Cultural Property, the Nihon Shoki Jindai Jōkan Dankan (日本書紀神代上巻断簡) is a manuscript fragment from the upper scroll of the "Age of Gods" section of the Nihon Shoki, Japan's first official chronicle. Believed to have been transcribed in the late Nara to early Heian period (late 8th to early 9th century), it ranks among the oldest surviving manuscripts of this foundational text—a tangible thread reaching back more than twelve hundred years into the formation of Japanese written history.

The Nihon Shoki and Why This Fragment Matters

The Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), completed in 720 CE under the direction of Prince Toneri, is Japan's earliest official imperial history. Composed in classical Chinese in thirty volumes, it spans from the age of gods through the reign of Empress Jitō (697 CE), establishing the foundational narrative of the Japanese state. Volumes 1 and 2 are devoted entirely to the Jindai—the divine age of creation, including the parting of heaven and earth, the birth of the islands of Japan by Izanagi and Izanami, and the celestial drama of the sun goddess Amaterasu.

No original manuscript from the 8th century survives. What we possess instead are copies made by court scribes, monks, and aristocrats over the following centuries. Among these, only a handful trace back to the late Nara or early Heian period, making them irreplaceable witnesses to how the text appeared in its earliest transmitted form. This fragment is one of those rare witnesses.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

Three intertwined qualities elevate this fragment to national cultural significance.

The Story Within: The World of Jindai Jōkan

Volume 1, the upper scroll of the Age of Gods, opens with one of the most evocative passages in Japanese literature. It describes a primordial state in which heaven and earth were not yet separated, yin and yang undivided, the cosmos resembling an egg containing the seed of all things. From this chaos emerge the first deities, followed by Izanagi and Izanami, who descend upon the floating bridge of heaven, stir the brine with a jeweled spear, and create the islands of Japan.

The volume continues through the birth of the three noble children—Amaterasu the sun goddess, Tsukuyomi the moon, and Susanoo the storm—to the famous tale of Amaterasu hiding in the heavenly rock cave and the slaying of the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. These narratives form the bedrock of Shinto and Japanese cultural identity, and to read them in a manuscript transcribed when these stories were still actively shaping the religious imagination of the imperial court is a profound experience.

The Provenance: From a Great Scholar's Library

This particular fragment passed through the hands of one of modern Japan's most distinguished classical scholars. Sasaki Nobutsuna (1872–1963) was a poet, professor at Tokyo Imperial University for 26 years, and the lead editor of the Kōhon Man'yōshū, the definitive critical edition of Japan's oldest poetry anthology. A recipient of the first Order of Culture in 1937, Sasaki devoted his life to the preservation and study of Japan's literary heritage. The fragment's appearance in his collection—reproduced in the early 20th-century facsimile compendium Hiseki Taikan—placed it within reach of generations of scholars and helped establish its standing as a textual witness of the highest order.

Experiencing the Nihon Shoki in Tokyo and Beyond

Because this fragment is privately held, direct viewing is generally not possible. However, visitors can encounter the world of the Nihon Shoki through a rich constellation of related sites and collections.

Visitor Information

The fragment itself is not on regular public display. Travelers interested in its world should plan visits around exhibitions at the institutions listed above, or arrange research access through scholarly channels. For literary pilgrims, a thoughtful itinerary might combine the Tokyo National Museum with the Kojimachi and Kanda areas (historically tied to publishing and scholarly culture), then extend westward to Nara and Kyoto for the sister manuscripts.

Reading the Nihon Shoki itself in translation before any such visit greatly enriches the experience. Several reliable English translations exist, including the classic by W. G. Aston, freely available in the public domain.

Surrounding Attractions in Tokyo

Visitors drawn to this manuscript will find Tokyo offers many complementary experiences.