After Emperor Jimmu died, a struggle broke out among his sons. One prince struck down his brothers and took the throne as the second emperor, Suizei. So began eight quiet reigns.
Suizei, Annei, Itoku, Kōshō, Kōan, Kōrei, Kōgen, Kaika. Of these eight the Kojiki records almost nothing but genealogy: where each held his palace, who his consorts were, which children were born, and where his tomb lies.
Later scholars named them the “eight undocumented reigns.” Were the stories lost, judged unnecessary, or were these generations added later to secure the continuity of the royal line? The debate continues.
Yet the eight reigns are not empty. Among the children of Emperor Kōrei is Kibitsuhiko, who would serve as one of the four generals under Emperor Sujin and who is often said to lie behind the legend of Momotarō. Quietly, the lineage branched and prepared the cast of the next age.
Without a single famous episode, these silent generations still carry the story onward — to the reign of Emperor Sujin, and the next great turning point.