Emperor Nintoku , also known as Ohosazaki no Sumeramikoto (大鷦鷯天皇) was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as the Saint Emperor .
Woodblock print by Toyohara Chikanobu, 1886
Daisen-Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Osaka
The Kojiki , also sometimes read as Furukotofumi or Furukotobumi, is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the kami (神), and the Japanese imperial line. It is claimed in its preface to have been composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei in the early 8th century (711–712), and thus is usually considered to be the oldest extant literary work in Japan.
Portrait of Ō no Yasumaro by Kikuchi Yōsai (19th century)
Kan'ei Kojiki, 1644 (Kokugakuin University)
Kojiki-den by Motoori Norinaga
Motoori Norinaga