This reexamination of Sendai kuji hongi (Kujiki) convincingly leads the reader to new conclusions on its place within the history and historiography of early Japan. While the Sendai kuji hongi is generally considered as simply derivative, drawing on Kojiki, Nihon shoki, and Kogo shui, John Bentley’s careful textual analysis demonstrates that the work has actually drawn from drafts of Kojiki and Nihon shoki, but not Kogo shui, which has quoted from Kujiki. Thus the work can not be seen as a product of the early Heian era, but must date from the early Nara era. It therewith offers a new look not only into Japanese early Japanese historiography, but also provides a window to a variant view of the Japanese imperial lineage.
The first three chapters consist of an analysis of the text from a textual analytical and linguistic viewpoint. Sections only found in Kujiki are then examined and analyzed. With full translation of the ten books of Kujiki, and amply annotated text.