Nihongi

(Nihon Shoki, Chronicles of Japan), a chronicle of the reigns of emperors of Japan from ancient times until 697. It was compiled in 720 and fills 31 volumes. The first two volumes are a collection of Japanese myths and the rest contain chronicles of the reigns of emperors and excerpts from official Japanese records and documents and from Korean chronicles. The last volume, consisting of heraldic records, has been lost. The 40-volume Shoku Nihongi (Continuation of the Chronicles of Japan), covering the period from 697 to 791, contains the same kinds of chronicles as the Nihongi but includes more documents, as well as biographical information about religious and political figures.