of Chapter 4, only the years of birth and reign, year of naming as Crown Prince, names of consorts, and locations of tomb are recorded. They are called the Kesshi Hachidai (", "eight generations lacking history") because no legends (or a few, as quoted in Nihon Ōdai Ichiran) are associated with them. Some studies support the view that these emperors were invented to push Jimmu's reign further back to the year 660 BCE. Nihon Shoki itself somewhat elevates the "tenth" emperor Sujin, recording that he was called the Hatsu-Kuni-Shirasu (": first nation-ruling) emperor. See also Iki no Hakatoko no Sho Shaku Nihongi William George Aston Hiromichi Mori Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo International Research Center for Japanese Studies Japanese Historical Text Initiative Historiography of Japan Notes References (Nihongi / Nihon Shoki texts) , English translationNihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. 2 vols. Kegan Paul. 1972 Tuttle reprint. , original kanbun text; uncommon kanji (incl. ) undisplayed but Norton safeweb OK as of accessdate. , searchtext resource to retrieve kanbun text vs. English tr. (Aston) in blocs. , modern Japanese translation. (Secondary literature) Brownlee, John S. (1997) Japanese historians and the national myths, 1600–1945: The Age of the Gods and Emperor Jimmu. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. Brownlee, John S. (1991). Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: From Kojiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712). Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. External links Searchable version of Aston's translation. Nihon Shoki Text (六国史全文) Downloadable lzh compressed file Nihon Shoki Online English Translations Manuscript scans at Waseda University Library: , History books about Japan Old Japanese texts 8th-century history books Nara-period works Japanese mythology Shinto texts Nara period Japanese literature in Classical Chinese N 720 8th century in Japan Kanbun