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Family enjoyed special prerogatives regarding the official Offerings, whilst, according to the sacred traditions of ancient Japan, no matter how superior the other shrines were, they were neglected for the receipt of the Imperial offerings, if they had no relationship with the Nakatomi House. The prejudices and partiality of the Nakatomi naturally aroused the righteous indignation of Imbe-no-Hironari and forced him when replying to the Emperor’s gracious message to call His Majesty’s attention to the “Eleven Things” neglected by the Imperial Government, as told in the book Kogoshui, which under these circumstances and with such a purpose was inscribed by Imbe-no-Hironari at the beginning of the 9th century in the reign of the Emperor Heijo (A.D. 806–809).
Chapter II
The Historical Value of the Book Criticized
In substance the Kogoshui is chiefly a protest written by Imbe-no-Hironari against a rival family. Hence, one naturally presumes that the work breathes a spirit of rivalry and jealousy. In some respects this is an undeniable fact, for example, the part taken by Takamimusubi-no-Kami is fairly prominent in the issue of Divine Commands in High Heaven together with Amaterasu-O-Mikami in the Kogoshui which differs from the Nihongi which attributes those commands to Amaterasu-O-Mikami alone. Why is this? Because Takamimusubi-no-Kami being regarded as the divine ancestor of the Imbe Family, it is reasonable to suppose
