[From June Issue 2012]

Kojiki is a book that contains writings about ancient Japanese history, it is the oldest remaining historical document in Japan. Though the first half recounts the mythological story of how the gods created Japan, records of actual historical fact increase in the latter half. The myths written in the Kojiki have a deep connection to the Japanese religion of Shinto, and many of the gods that appear in the Kojiki are worshiped in Shinto shrines.

All over Japan there are regions that still bear the same name as that used in the Kojiki. There are also legends about shrines passed down through generations that have their origins in the Kojiki. Many regions have become famous tourist destinations, such as Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is said to be the place where the heavenly gods first set foot, or Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, which is purported to be the place to which a god fled after losing a trial of strength.

Of these locations, Shimane has the strongest ties to the Kojiki, with a third of all the places mentioned in the myths located in the prefecture. Popular among young women, the Izumo Temple houses the god of marriage and its legend is supposed to have its origins in the Kojiki. Other temples, local areas, and folk entertainments in Shimane are also said to originate from the Kojiki. “There are countless traditional Shinto rituals in each area and community,” says OKUDA Miwa, a member of the Kamigami no Kuni (The Island of the Gods) Shimane Executive Committee.

Japanese people are well acquainted with the Kojiki. Most people learn about the Kojiki during school, and have read passages from the book. Since it is written in Old Japanese it is very difficult, so not many people read the original text, but a few tales are very famous. This is because these stories are often adapted into books for children.

Notable classic picture book adaptations include “Amanoiwato,” which is about how the Sun Goddess Amaterasu shut herself away inside a cave and how the gods cleverly lured her out, “Yamatano Orochi,” about a strong god who defeats an orochi (huge snake), “Umisachi Yamasachi,” about an elder brother who gets punished for picking on his younger brother, and “Inaba no Shiro Usagi,” about a kind god who finds happiness after saving a hare. Children enjoy reading these tales not only because the story is interesting, but also for the way in which the animals talk as if they were humans. Moreover, parents choose to read these tales to their children because in these stories bad people get their comeuppance, and good people end up happy.

However, since the Kojiki is an old history book, some stories in the Kojiki are not appropriate for children. Sometimes the main character is killed in a very cruel manner. “I wanted my book to be true to the original tale in the Kojiki, but I did not want to turn it into a story that would make children frightened,” says DATE Emiko, the author of an adaptation of “Inaba no Shiro Usagi” (The Hare of Inaba). “So, I decided to delete passages that were not appropriate for children. I wanted to make an emotionally healing story.”

“The main character in the story is a serene and warmhearted god, who doesn’t really like to fight. The charm of the Kojiki is that this kind of unconventional hero is given as much importance as the strong and brave gods,” says Date. “Not only that, humans and animals are treated as equals in the Kojiki. Even a white hare can become a god. I think this mindset is very Japanese.”

The myths in the Kojiki are on an epic scale, with gods marrying to create the islands of Japan, and a hero travelling from battle to battle from Kyushu to Kanto. That is why some stories are adapted into large-scale productions on stage. Some examples include the opera version of “Kojiki” and a Super Kabuki (modern style of kabuki) version of “Yamatotakeru.” Additionally, Kojiki tales are often used as subject matter for Japanese paintings. In turn, Kojiki tales and characters also appear in manga and games. Authors tend to think outside the box when making these adaptations, which makes them very popular with the manga and game loving younger generation.

“A reader of my English translation of Kojiki wrote in their review that ‘Those who have played the video game Okami will recognize some of the characters, including Amaterasu and Susanowo,’” says the poet, DANNO Yoko. “English translations of the Kojiki were done in the past by knowledgeable scholars, and are a must-read for people who are studying this subject. On the other hand, I attempted to create an English translation that can be enjoyed by ordinary people,” she says of her motivations for translating the book.

“I needed to be creative especially when I translated the names of people and places,” says Danno. “There are many tales that relate the origin of names of places, and when we use direct translations of people’s names, they become too long. When I read the Kojiki, I felt that the book was a very interesting tale of adventures, filled with vivid accounts of the movements of gods and humans, so I tried to translate the original text as faithfully as possible, while at the same time keeping it easy to understand and no longer than 160 pages.”

“The fascination of the Kojiki is that it touches on the emotions of these ancient people,” says Danno. “In those days people sensed the presence of the gods all about them. For example, the goddess of grief is born from tears. Also, the frank and powerful behavior of the characters, and the poetic language it is written in is so charming. The heart yearning for one’s homeland, or the feelings of being lovesick… Even today, these things haven’t changed.”

The Kojiki also has a political side. Since it was compiled in the eighth century by order of the reigning Emperor, it was affected by the politics of those times, so that the gods are stated to be the ancestors of the emperor. During the prewar (pre-World War Two) era, the Kojiki was the foundation of the idea that the emperor was god – because he was the descendant of the emperor who had ordered the Kojiki to be written. As a reaction to this ideology, in postwar Japan there were two factions of people: those who valued the Kojiki and those who disliked the book.

In this way, people have differing opinions and thoughts regarding the Kojiki. But there is no doubt that this book is valuable. This is because the records in the Kojiki are useful in confirming historical facts when ancient graves are discovered, and study of the Kojiki can also help researchers understand Old Japanese. Moreover, since people’s emotions are described in detail, it’s held in high regard as a piece of literature. Furthermore, the idea of gods inhabiting animals, plants, mountains and rivers is one that even modern Japanese are well acquainted with.

The Kamigami no Kuni Shimane Executive Committee
Bungeisha
Ahadada Books

Text: SAZAKI Ryo

[2012年6月号掲載記事]

古事記は日本の古代の歴史を書いた本で、現在残っている日本の歴史書の中ではいちばん古い書物です。前半は神々が日本をつくったという神話ですが、後半へ進むにつれ史実の記録が増えていきます。古事記の神話は日本の宗教「神道」と深く関わっていて、多くの神社が古事記に出てくる神々をまつっています。

古事記に出てくる地名が残っている地域や、古事記と関わりのある話を代々伝えてきた神社なども、日本のあちこちにたくさんあります。天の神々が降り立った場所だとされている宮崎県の高千穂、力比べに負けた神が逃げ込んだ地といわれている長野県の諏訪など、有名な観光地になっている場所も少なくありません。

中でも島根県は、古事記の神話の約3分の1が島根県に関係あるといわれるほど縁の深い土地です。縁結びの神として若い女性に人気の神社「出雲大社」も、古事記に出てくる建物が起源だとされています。そのほかにも多くの神社や地名、郷土芸能が古事記に由来しています。「各地域、各集落で伝統的な神事は数え切れないほどあります」と、神々の国しまね実行委員会の奥田未和さんは言います。

古事記は日本人に広く知られている本です。たいていの人は学校の授業で、「古事記」というものを知り、内容の一部を読みます。古い日本語で書かれていて難しいので、原文で読む人はあまりいませんが、いくつかのエピソードはとても有名です。それは、子ども向けの本によく取り上げられるからです。

特に、岩の扉を閉めて閉じこもってしまった太陽神アマテラスを神々が知恵を働かせて連れ出すという「天岩戸」の話、強い神が悪いオロチ（大きな蛇）を退治する「ヤマタノオロチ」の話、弟をいじめた兄が罰を受ける「海幸山幸」、心のやさしい神がウサギを助けた結果幸せになる「因幡の白うさぎ」は、絵本の定番です。話がおもしろい上、人間のように話す動物たちが登場するので、子どもが喜んで読むのです。また、悪い人がひどい目にあい、よいことをした人が幸せになるという内容なので、親たちも子どもに読ませたがります。

しかし古事記は古い歴史書なので、現代の子どもには好ましくない話も含まれています。登場人物がとても残酷な方法で殺されてしまうことなどです。「古事記に忠実にかきたいと思いましたが、かといって子どもが怖がる話にはしたくありませんでした」と、絵本「因幡の白うさぎ」をかいた伊達恵美子さんは言います。「ですから子ども向けでない部分は省略するようにしました。心癒される話にしたかったのです」。

「因幡の白うさぎの主人公は大らかで心の温かい、あまり戦いを好まない神です。このようなヒーローらしくない神が、強くて勇ましい神と同じくらい大事に書かれているところが古事記の魅力です」と伊達さん。「それに古事記の中では人も動物も平等です。白うさぎも神様になれるのです。とても日本人らしい考え方だと思います」。

古事記の神話は、神々が結婚して日本列島を生んだり、一人の英雄が九州から関東までを旅して戦ったりと、内容がダイナミックです。そのため大がかりな舞台作品にされることもあります。オペラ「古事記」やスーパー歌舞伎（現代的な歌舞伎）「ヤマトタケル」がその例です。日本画の題材にもよく使われます。一方、古事記のエピソードやキャラクターを使ったまんがやゲームも多く存在します。こちらは自由な発想で作品化していることが多く、若い人やまんが・ゲーム好きな人の間で人気です。

「『テレビゲームの大神で遊んだ人は、キャラクターがアマテラスやスサノヲたちだったのだとわかるでしょう』と、私が英語に訳した古事記を読んで、感想を寄せてくれた人がいます」。そう語るのは詩人のヨウコ・ダンノさんです。「古事記には優れた学者による英訳本があり、専門的に学ぶ人の必読書となっています。一方私が試みたのは、一般の人が楽しんで読める英訳です」と翻訳の動機を語ります。

「訳すとき工夫が必要だったのは人名や地名です」とダンノさん。「古事記には地名の由来を語る話も多いですし、人名はそのまま訳すと長くなります。私は古事記を読んで、神々や人間がいきいきと動き回る、とてもおもしろい冒険物語だと感じましたから、できるだけ忠実に訳し、それでいてわかりやすい、160ページ未満の本にしました」。

「古事記の魅力は古代の人々の心にふれられることです」とダンノさんは言います。「人々はあらゆるところに神々の存在を感じていました。例えば涙から嘆きの女神が生まれてくるのです。また、登場人物の率直で力強い行動や、詩情豊かなことばも魅力的です。故郷を思う心や悲しい恋などは、今も古代も変わりません」。

古事記には、政治に利用された面もあります。天皇の命令によって編纂された書物なので、8世紀頃の政治の影響を受けていて、天皇の先祖を神としているのです。戦前（第二次世界大戦前）には、古事記を書かせた天皇の子孫に当たる天皇を、神だと考える思想の根拠にもされました。その反動で戦後の日本には、古事記を大切にする人と嫌う人の両方が生まれました。

このように古事記をめぐってはさまざまな意見や考えがあります。しかし貴重な本であることは確かです。古いお墓が見つかったときの史実確認に古事記の記録が役立ったり、古事記の研究から昔の日本語がわかったりするからです。それに、人の感情が細かく描かれているので、文学作品としても高く評価されています。また、動物、植物、山、川にも神が宿るという考えなどは、今の日本人にとってもなじみ深いものです。

神々の国しまね実行委員会
文芸社
アハダダ・ブックス

文：砂崎良