Dai Nihonshi
book about the history of Japan until 1392
The Dai Nihonshi (大日本史), literally History of Great Japan, is a book on the history of Japan written in Classical Chinese. It was begun in the 17th century and was completed by 1715 by Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the head of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family. After his death, work on the book was continued by the Mito branch until its completion in the Meiji era. The format of the book closely resembles the Chinese literary histories in form and structure and is considered extremely accurate. Dai Nihonshi was given its name by the feudal lord Tokugawa Tsunaeda in 1715, after the death of Tokugawa Mitsukuni. Contemporaneously it was also known by the names Honchō-shiki (lit. Historical Record of the Imperial Court), Kokushi (lit. National History), and Washi (lit. History of Wa).
Content
The work starts with Emperor Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan, and covers the first hundred emperors, ending with Emperor Go-Komatsu (more precisely, it ends after the merging of the Southern Court and Northern Court in 1392, before the end of Emperor Go-Komatsu's reign).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Dai Nihonshi” as book about the history of Japan until 1392. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as book about the history of Japan until 1392. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 6, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q1156003. VIAF identifies the subject as 185144231. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1715 and 1392.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dai Nihonshi”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dai Nihonshi primary sources, Dai Nihonshi archive and Nihonshi research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dai Nihonshi”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dai Nihonshi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.