Editing Nihon Shoki (section)

==Process of compilation==
=== Background ===
The background of the compilation of the {{Lang|ja-latn|Nihon Shoki}} is that Emperor Tenmu ordered 12 people, including Prince Kawashima, to edit the old history of the empire.<ref>''日本の歴史4 天平の時代'' p.39, [[Shueisha]], Towao Sakehara</ref>

''[[Shoku Nihongi]]'' notes that "{{lang|ja-Hani|先是一品舍人親王奉勅修日本紀。至是功成奏上。紀卅卷系圖一卷}}" in the part of May 720. It means "Up to that time, <!--一品-->Prince Toneri had been compiling ''Nihongi'' on the orders of the emperor; he completed it, submitting 30 volumes of history and one volume of genealogy".<ref>{{cite book |editor=Keizai Zasshisha |editor-link=:ja:経済雑誌社 |title=Shoku Nihongi |script-title=ja:続日本紀 |series=[[Rikkokushi|National History]] |language=ja |volume=2 |date=1897 |publication-place=Tokyo |publisher=Keizai Zasshisha |url={{NDLDC|991092|/1/187|format=url}} |page=362 |via=[[National Diet Library]] |doi=10.11501/991092 |id={{NDLPID|991092}} |author1=経済雑誌社 }}</ref>

===Sources===
The {{Lang|ja-latn|Nihon Shoki}} is a synthesis of older documents, specifically on the records that had been continuously kept in the Yamato court since the sixth century. It also includes documents and folklore submitted by clans serving the court. Prior to {{Lang|ja-latn|Nihon Shoki}}, there were ''[[Tennōki]]'' and ''[[Kokki]]'' compiled by [[Prince Shōtoku]] and [[Soga no Umako]], but as they were stored in Soga's residence, they were burned at the time of the [[Isshi Incident]] in July 645.

The work's contributors refer to various sources which do not exist today. Among those sources, three [[Baekje]] documents (''Kudara-ki'', etc.) are cited mainly for the purpose of recording diplomatic affairs.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7jDuhnI6r9UC&q=paekche+nihon&pg=PA40 Sakamoto, Tarō. (1991). ''The Six National Histories of Japan: Rikkokushi,'' John S. Brownlee, tr.] pp. 40–41; [https://books.google.com/books?id=x5mwgfPXK1kC&dq=paekche+nihon+shoki&pg=PA170 Inoue Mitsusada. (1999). "The Century of Reform" in ''The Cambridge History of Japan'', Delmer Brown, ed. Vol. I], p.170.</ref> Textual criticism shows that scholars fleeing the destruction of the Baekje to Yamato wrote these histories and the authors of the {{Lang|ja-latn|Nihon Shoki}} heavily relied upon those sources.<ref>Sakamoto, pp. 40–41.</ref> This must be taken into account in relation to statements referring to old historic rivalries between the ancient [[Korea]]n kingdoms of [[Silla]], [[Goguryeo]], and [[Baekje]].

Some other sources are cited anonymously as ''aru fumi'' ({{lang|ja-Hani|一書}}; "some document"), in order to keep alternative records for specific incidents.