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The Taiheiki: A Chronicle of Medieval Japan
An epic saga of samurai warfare in medieval Japan
This celebrated literary classic has delighted generations of Japanese. In its pages, you will find a vivid contemporary description of the fourteenth-century intrigues and battles that led to the destruction of the Hojo family, the military overlords of the nation, and made it possible for the Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339), one of Japan's most remarkable sovereigns, to reassert the power of the throne. Go-Daigo's first hesitant attempts to overthrow the Hojo, the early defeats suffered by his supporters, his dethronement and exile, the legendary exploits of his generals, the growing strength of his arms, and his ultimate return to the throne are all recounted in engrossing detail.
The anonymous authors of The Taiheiki diversify their narrative through the skillful use of the rich treasure house of the Chinese dynastic histories, the verse of the Six Dynasties and T'ang, and the Confucian teachings underlying the strict warrior code of loyalty and filial piety. They write with a deep sense of the inevitability of karma--determined fate and the impermanence of man and his works--but the spirit of the age is reflected in their praise of valor and military prowess, their taste for descriptions of the trappings of war, and their frequent irreverent asides. Considered a part of the gunki monogatari , or war tales canon in Japan, The Taiheiki celebrates martial adventure and can be seen as a prose counterpart to the Homeric epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey .
This celebrated literary classic has delighted generations of Japanese. In its pages, you will find a vivid contemporary description of the fourteenth-century intrigues and battles that led to the destruction of the Hojo family, the military overlords of the nation, and made it possible for the Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339), one of Japan's most remarkable sovereigns, to reassert the power of the throne. Go-Daigo's first hesitant attempts to overthrow the Hojo, the early defeats suffered by his supporters, his dethronement and exile, the legendary exploits of his generals, the growing strength of his arms, and his ultimate return to the throne are all recounted in engrossing detail.
The anonymous authors of The Taiheiki diversify their narrative through the skillful use of the rich treasure house of the Chinese dynastic histories, the verse of the Six Dynasties and T'ang, and the Confucian teachings underlying the strict warrior code of loyalty and filial piety. They write with a deep sense of the inevitability of karma--determined fate and the impermanence of man and his works--but the spirit of the age is reflected in their praise of valor and military prowess, their taste for descriptions of the trappings of war, and their frequent irreverent asides. Considered a part of the gunki monogatari , or war tales canon in Japan, The Taiheiki celebrates martial adventure and can be seen as a prose counterpart to the Homeric epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey .
452 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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363 people want to read
About the author
Helen Craig McCullough
16 books6 followersHelen Craig McCullough (February 17, 1918 – April 6, 1998) was an American academic, translator, and Japanologist. She is best known for her 1988 translation of The Tale of the Heike.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 26, 2020
Ha! This was wild. It was nice to see some old friends from kabuki and similar popular tales, but it was not a smooth read for me, due to the avalanche of names and places (including the ones from Chinese classics) and court ranks. Some of the stories were heartbreaking – every now and then some poor lady or guy would be forced to abandon their family and/or kill them outright, including little children, before they perished themselves.
It took be more than a year to read this book, because I wasn’t in any kind of a hurry, just wanted to see how certain stories/personages were treated in it, and as a result I basically forgot what the central conflict was about. And that’s fine; it doesn’t matter. That kind of stuff is senseless anyway.
My favorite quote (I loved the translation):
All who looked upon him shunned and detested him, saying: “Most marvelously unrighteous is his heart!”
July 1, 2015
Rough reading, and McCoullough did her best to cut down on this version (not that there are really other translated versions...) The Translation was good, there were many phrases used to exhaustion, but that's not the the translator, from what I know, but the writer.
Usually I prefer to read the source materials, and then the other writings after, but I didn't really have a choice in this case if I wanted to keep up some kind of forward moving chronology. The last 4 or so books I've read (and others) have been making references, or quoting whole passages, from the Taiheiki, so by the time I finally received this in from the NYPL the story, characters, and "motivation" was done and done in. I'm not sure what kind of magic I'd have expected from it, but it was certainly all drained for my read. But even that aside, there is still no comparison to the Heike, which was easily a match for the Illiad in terms of content, writing, and grandeur (if lacking in structure and antiquity).
This would go down in the safe category to "read-about" rather then actually reading it except for the end 3 chapters. I'll throw it in a spoiler for a few reasons....
So, there's that experience.... and you won't get it from reading other sources. So with that deep NY saying, "It is, what it is" I three star this thing and dub it finished!
Usually I prefer to read the source materials, and then the other writings after, but I didn't really have a choice in this case if I wanted to keep up some kind of forward moving chronology. The last 4 or so books I've read (and others) have been making references, or quoting whole passages, from the Taiheiki, so by the time I finally received this in from the NYPL the story, characters, and "motivation" was done and done in. I'm not sure what kind of magic I'd have expected from it, but it was certainly all drained for my read. But even that aside, there is still no comparison to the Heike, which was easily a match for the Illiad in terms of content, writing, and grandeur (if lacking in structure and antiquity).
This would go down in the safe category to "read-about" rather then actually reading it except for the end 3 chapters. I'll throw it in a spoiler for a few reasons....
So, there's that experience.... and you won't get it from reading other sources. So with that deep NY saying, "It is, what it is" I three star this thing and dub it finished!
August 21, 2023
I am really interested in Japanese history especially the Medieval period so I was really excited to read this book. The old style of writing with mostly facts and no drama added made this drag however and it was hard to get all the way through it (like reading a textbook for a class because you have to rather than reading for enjoyment). Still, I am glad I read it to have some background of the period but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they really want to study Japanese Medieval history.
January 5, 2019
Chapter 3 is great... However... most of it is really tedious. Difficult to read, as are almost all such chronicles.
July 19, 2014
This is a 14th century account of the political and military events that took place between 1330-1333, when the Emperor Go-Daigo and his allies challenged the authority of the Kamakura bakufu. While it's not an entirely faithful telling, it is a source many historians look back to, just hopefully not for precise details as they're rather absurd. The translation is easy to read, and while the middle chunk is incredibly redundant with what seemed like nearly every battle ending the same way - and entirely unbelievable at that - it's a fun way into the world of 14th century Japanese politics.
It's long winded, with lots of digressions and an overabundance of names showing up only once, but the introduction and footnotes help situate the reader and explain most of the references no one but a literature scholar could possibly understand. Digressions are also neatly demarcated and described so you have an idea of what to expect, such as "In the following anecdote, a Chinese parallel for Lady Sammi's behavior is recalled." These also aid in selective reading, for example if you want to skip the several-pages description of the garden (which I don't advise skipping all of as it had a neat story at the end.)
It definitely requires selective reading to get through, as most of the names and places really don't mean much for the story... unless you're reading it for events and people, but I think there are better sources out there for the battles. There are a few others who come and go within a few sections, but there's no real point to trying to keep track of all of the people and places. The main characters to pay attention to are the emperor (former emperor, Go-Daigo but never called that in the text), the Prince of the Great Pagoda (Morinaga), Kusunoki Mashashige, and towards the end Niita Yoshisada, and Ashikaga Takauji. Places to know are the capital (Kyoto), Kamakura, Kyushu, Oki Island, Kanto (Eastern Japan), and the Home Provinces (Kinai, around Kyoto/Osaka). I think the book would have benefited from including a map of the old provinces, since McCullough doesn't include modern references with the old province and road names. Here's one that I think would be helpful. http://meiboku.info/guide/map/index.htm
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes medieval war tales. It's a lot longer than European tales I've read, but it has a similar character.
It's long winded, with lots of digressions and an overabundance of names showing up only once, but the introduction and footnotes help situate the reader and explain most of the references no one but a literature scholar could possibly understand. Digressions are also neatly demarcated and described so you have an idea of what to expect, such as "In the following anecdote, a Chinese parallel for Lady Sammi's behavior is recalled." These also aid in selective reading, for example if you want to skip the several-pages description of the garden (which I don't advise skipping all of as it had a neat story at the end.)
It definitely requires selective reading to get through, as most of the names and places really don't mean much for the story... unless you're reading it for events and people, but I think there are better sources out there for the battles. There are a few others who come and go within a few sections, but there's no real point to trying to keep track of all of the people and places. The main characters to pay attention to are the emperor (former emperor, Go-Daigo but never called that in the text), the Prince of the Great Pagoda (Morinaga), Kusunoki Mashashige, and towards the end Niita Yoshisada, and Ashikaga Takauji. Places to know are the capital (Kyoto), Kamakura, Kyushu, Oki Island, Kanto (Eastern Japan), and the Home Provinces (Kinai, around Kyoto/Osaka). I think the book would have benefited from including a map of the old provinces, since McCullough doesn't include modern references with the old province and road names. Here's one that I think would be helpful. http://meiboku.info/guide/map/index.htm
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes medieval war tales. It's a lot longer than European tales I've read, but it has a similar character.
August 4, 2024
Took me longer than I thought to read this book an essentially a chapter a day.
The introduction by McCullogh was really useful in setting the background and context of the Taiheiki. The last couple of pages of the introduction was essentially a summary of the 12 chapters of the Taiheiki, and provided a good guide to the chapters and characters.
Speaking of chapters and characters, the Taiheiki has 49 chapters and only 12 has been translated into English. I don’t know if we will ever get the other 37. And as for characters there is a whole host of them, and it is easy to get lost amidst the myriad of names.
I think it is useful to be somewhat familiar with the old provinces of Japan when reading it, so you can get a sense of what is happening where. Some names like those of the temples continue to be used today, while others have been superseded by their modern counterparts.
There is a also a heavy dose of Chinese history and tales, with them being constantly referenced within the main text, and McCullough providing further explanation in the footnotes. Some of those names and tales are familiar to me, being ethnic Chinese and having read some of those tales when I was younger.
The first few chapters could be hard to get into, but overtime it gets easier as you become accustomed to the way it has been written. The battles (of which there are many) are well described and vivid, as are the personalities involved.
The reader will come away with a better idea of what transpired in the Kenmu Restoration, though not why they fail - that is presumably covered in the later and untranslated chapters. It’s an interesting period that is covered and one that is not as famous as the Genpei War, the Sengoku Jidai or the Bakumatsu era. But given that it heralded the beginning of the rule of the military over the royals, it’s important to know how that came to be.
The introduction by McCullogh was really useful in setting the background and context of the Taiheiki. The last couple of pages of the introduction was essentially a summary of the 12 chapters of the Taiheiki, and provided a good guide to the chapters and characters.
Speaking of chapters and characters, the Taiheiki has 49 chapters and only 12 has been translated into English. I don’t know if we will ever get the other 37. And as for characters there is a whole host of them, and it is easy to get lost amidst the myriad of names.
I think it is useful to be somewhat familiar with the old provinces of Japan when reading it, so you can get a sense of what is happening where. Some names like those of the temples continue to be used today, while others have been superseded by their modern counterparts.
There is a also a heavy dose of Chinese history and tales, with them being constantly referenced within the main text, and McCullough providing further explanation in the footnotes. Some of those names and tales are familiar to me, being ethnic Chinese and having read some of those tales when I was younger.
The first few chapters could be hard to get into, but overtime it gets easier as you become accustomed to the way it has been written. The battles (of which there are many) are well described and vivid, as are the personalities involved.
The reader will come away with a better idea of what transpired in the Kenmu Restoration, though not why they fail - that is presumably covered in the later and untranslated chapters. It’s an interesting period that is covered and one that is not as famous as the Genpei War, the Sengoku Jidai or the Bakumatsu era. But given that it heralded the beginning of the rule of the military over the royals, it’s important to know how that came to be.
July 12, 2016
Let me be blunt, “The Taiheiki” isn’t a book you pick up to read a gripping story. While it’s considered a work of fiction, it reads like a history. In some sense, it is a history. It does follow the broad brush strokes of the events in Japan in the early 14th century. However, there are way too many characters to keep track of, or to remember who is on the side of whom, or even to know whether a given individual is worth remembering or whether they’ll soon die an ignominious death. If you don’t believe me, here are the words of the book’s translator and editor, “In short, the ‘gunki monogatari’ [the war tales of which ‘The Taiheiki’ is one] are not great literature. But the best of them are worth reading.”
I agree with McCullough’s point about these books (and this one in particular) being worth reading, but I would add an “if.” “The Taiheiki” is worth reading, if you have an interest in medieval Japan, samurai, or civil war life. The time period in question was fascinating, and it was characterized by war and intrigue. The Hōjō clan was ousted. (They were the military clan that administered the government.) A compromise had been in effect in which the mantle of Emperor was to be alternated between two opposing lines. However, an ambitious Emperor Go-Daigo refused to relinquish the title, and this led to a war between the courts. It’s a story of both warriors of legendary loyalty (most famously, Kusunoki Masashige) and those of shifting loyalties.
While the book is too fractured to form a clear and interesting story overall, that doesn’t mean it isn’t filled with intriguing episodes of battles, espionage, siege warfare, and even the occasional ghost or goblin story. There are many interesting individuals that are dealt with in sufficient detail to make them intriguing—the aforementioned Kusunoki Masashige stands out among them. The book offers insight into the medieval Japanese mind and to some degree the modern mind as well. There are discussions of philosophy and strategy worked into the narrative that help one to understand from whence the individuals were coming.
The book has a few features that help non-expert readers. The first is an extensive introduction written by Dr. McCullough that serves to provide background for the book and the era in which it took place. The second is frequent footnoting. There are also several plates of artworks and photos interspersed throughout the book. These help the reader visualize the environs and how these individuals would have looked.
If you have an interest in medieval Japan, in samurai, in ninja, or even in pre-modern war generally, I’d recommend this book. (If you’re looking for a gripping tale of intrigue set in 14th century Japan, not so much.)
I agree with McCullough’s point about these books (and this one in particular) being worth reading, but I would add an “if.” “The Taiheiki” is worth reading, if you have an interest in medieval Japan, samurai, or civil war life. The time period in question was fascinating, and it was characterized by war and intrigue. The Hōjō clan was ousted. (They were the military clan that administered the government.) A compromise had been in effect in which the mantle of Emperor was to be alternated between two opposing lines. However, an ambitious Emperor Go-Daigo refused to relinquish the title, and this led to a war between the courts. It’s a story of both warriors of legendary loyalty (most famously, Kusunoki Masashige) and those of shifting loyalties.
While the book is too fractured to form a clear and interesting story overall, that doesn’t mean it isn’t filled with intriguing episodes of battles, espionage, siege warfare, and even the occasional ghost or goblin story. There are many interesting individuals that are dealt with in sufficient detail to make them intriguing—the aforementioned Kusunoki Masashige stands out among them. The book offers insight into the medieval Japanese mind and to some degree the modern mind as well. There are discussions of philosophy and strategy worked into the narrative that help one to understand from whence the individuals were coming.
The book has a few features that help non-expert readers. The first is an extensive introduction written by Dr. McCullough that serves to provide background for the book and the era in which it took place. The second is frequent footnoting. There are also several plates of artworks and photos interspersed throughout the book. These help the reader visualize the environs and how these individuals would have looked.
If you have an interest in medieval Japan, in samurai, in ninja, or even in pre-modern war generally, I’d recommend this book. (If you’re looking for a gripping tale of intrigue set in 14th century Japan, not so much.)
September 22, 2016
Ultimately, this is the story of the battles that created modern day japan.
May 10, 2007
This chronicle of the chaos of medieval Japan is a riveting tale of political intrigue, loyalty, betrayal, clan rivalry and raging samurai warfare.
Varying families, clans and factions had been vying for power throughout the thirteenth century, and the book tells the story of how everything came to a head when Emperor Go-Daigo ascended the throne in 1318 and decided he'd had enough of the imperial throne being rendered powerless by the bakufu (military government), and more recently by the ultra manipulative and politically astute Hojo family.
He garnered support and took the Hojo on in a battle for control and won, subsequently attempting to reassert the Emperor's influence during his 21 years on the throne. But, this being medieval Japan, it wasn't that simple. His supporters had been motivated by removing the Hojo, not by restoring the Emperor, and they turned on him. The War Between The Courts lasted from 1336 - 1392, with the bakufu eventually being restored under Ashikaga Takauji.
The story rattles along, and is filled with wonderful descpritions of personal and political manoeuvring, bloody battles and medieval mind games. This is history folks, but not as we know it. It's history Japanese chronicle style, written a century after the events in question and undoubtedly embellished and exaggerated for dramatic effect. Wouldn't it be great if all history was written this way?
Varying families, clans and factions had been vying for power throughout the thirteenth century, and the book tells the story of how everything came to a head when Emperor Go-Daigo ascended the throne in 1318 and decided he'd had enough of the imperial throne being rendered powerless by the bakufu (military government), and more recently by the ultra manipulative and politically astute Hojo family.
He garnered support and took the Hojo on in a battle for control and won, subsequently attempting to reassert the Emperor's influence during his 21 years on the throne. But, this being medieval Japan, it wasn't that simple. His supporters had been motivated by removing the Hojo, not by restoring the Emperor, and they turned on him. The War Between The Courts lasted from 1336 - 1392, with the bakufu eventually being restored under Ashikaga Takauji.
The story rattles along, and is filled with wonderful descpritions of personal and political manoeuvring, bloody battles and medieval mind games. This is history folks, but not as we know it. It's history Japanese chronicle style, written a century after the events in question and undoubtedly embellished and exaggerated for dramatic effect. Wouldn't it be great if all history was written this way?
October 24, 2014
Alright - reading about some of the battles, the number of deaths - especially the number of samurai warriors who suddenly kill themselves when their lord dies in battle - is pretty cool. There really are so many insights into Samurai culture and this era of Japanese history. The problem is that it is so difficult to read. Honestly, this needs to have a sparks note. Shakespeare is easier to understand. For some things, you need to have a grounding in the culture and history in order to understand what's going on. For other's the descriptions are so long and descriptive that I just wanted to skip it all. Very educational, but not very entertaining.
April 8, 2014
Most awesome piece of classic lit I've read in years! Wish there were a sequel.
June 9, 2025
This is a very dry read -- and frankly, not especially entertaining. :/
January 12, 2016
Very tough reading, in the line of any "Monogatari".
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews