Fujiwara no Nakamaro
The writing of the "Shoku Nihongi", the first successor to the "Nihon Shoki" began about 760 by Fujiwara no Nakamaro, but suffered several setbacks before its publication in 797, such as Nakamaro's death in the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion in 764; the thirty draft volumes drew criticism for concentrating on anecdotal facts and ignoring some major events. Emperor Kōnin had the project revived, but it still remained in draft form. Edicts in 794 and 797 made it possible to complete the project. The forty volumes of the "Shoku Nihongi" cover the period from 697 to 791. The final work stands out for its use of new sources, such as Buddhist temple registers or tax revenue reports. Like the "Kojiki" it is written in a language based on classical Chinese and on a phonetic use of Chinese characters. The "Shoku Nihongi" also describes certain aspects of Japanese society of the time, such as the conditions of the workers at construction sites in the capital Heijō-kyō (modern Nara). In keeping with Chinese models, the place of poetry is greatly reduced.