Nihon Odai Ichiran facts for kids
Nihon Odai Ichiran (日本王代一覧, Nihon Ōdai Ichiran, "Table of the rulers of Japan") is an old Japanese book. It was written in the 1600s. This book is a history of the Japanese emperors who ruled before the 1800s.
A French version of Nihon Ōdai Ichiran was published in 1834. Its French title was Annales des empereurs du Japon. A Dutch scholar named Isaac Titsingh translated it. This translation was one of the very few books about Japan available in Europe at that time.
Bringing Japan's History to the West
A Dutch historian named Isaac Titsingh brought seven copies of this book with him. He returned to Europe in 1797 after living in Asia for twenty years. Titsingh's French translation was published in 1834. Sadly, the original Japanese books were lost during wars in Europe in the 1800s.
This book was the first major history of Japan to be published in Western countries. It was also the first history book written by a Japanese author to be shared in Europe.
Isaac Titsingh said that Nihon Ōdai Ichiran was a very hard book to translate. He called the translation "a most tedious task," meaning it was very long and tiring work.
In the 1950s, a scholar who studies Japan, John Whitney Hall, looked at Ōdai-ichiran. He confirmed that Titsingh's translation was careful and accurate. It was a good translation from the original Japanese writings.
Learn More About Japan
- You can see scans of the original book manuscript here: scans from Waseda University Library.
Images for kids
-
This page from Waseda University's copy of Nihon Ōdai Ichiran shows part of a popular reference book from the Edo period. It's about Imperial Japanese history.
-
This sample page from Nihon Ōdai Ichiran shows how the book is laid out. It mixes Japanese kanji and French text. It also has rare old Japanese spellings before the Hepburn system was used.
See also
In Spanish: Nihon ōdai ichiran para niños
