Observations on the Nihon Shoki from the Perspective of the Spring-Autumn Double-Year Calendar System
2025-04-29 | preprint
DOI: 10.5281/ZENODO.15306170
zenode : https://zenodo.org/records/15306170
Description
This paper presents a new interpretative framework for the Nihon Shoki based on the concept of the Spring-Autumn Double-Year Calendar system.
By applying this model, it becomes possible to resolve longstanding inconsistencies between the Nihon Shoki, the Chinese dynastic histories such as the Wei Zhi Woren Zhuan and the Song Shu, and archaeological findings like the Inariyama Sword inscription.
The analysis proposes that earlier sections of the Nihon Shoki recorded reign years according to a double-year system, which was later replaced by a single-year system around the 5th century.
This approach also enables a coherent reconstruction of the chronology concerning the Five Kings of Wa and offers a new perspective on the so-called “Kesshi Hachidai” (the Eight Emperors without Historical Records).
**In particular, it highlights a critical overlap in imperial chronology between A.D. 391 and 411, which has historically been treated as three separate periods.**
Unlike traditional interpretations that often regarded these early records as mythological or fabricated, this study demonstrates that they follow a consistent internal logic when properly decoded.
The findings suggest that the Nihon Shoki contains far more reliable historical data than previously assumed and necessitate a major revision of early Japanese historiography.
For a concise overview of the core hypotheses and a simplified chronology table,
please refer to the summary version: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15352764
Note:
This paper is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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・Attribution (BY): The author’s name must be credited.
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This interpretive model is proposed independently in this paper and does not follow existing academic chronologies.
This model presents an original chronological interpretation based on the application of a biennial calendar system prior to A.D. 470, as well as a structural reinterpretation of overlapping imperial years between 391 and 411 A.D.