In 1879, the Ministry of Education of the Meiji government started to compile and the project was later passed to the Tokyo gakushiin (later became the Japan Academy), Koten Kokyusho (research institute for Shinto sect) and the Jingu Shicho (administration office for Jingu).
1879年（明治12年）文部省により編纂が始められ、東京学士院、皇典講究所、神宮司庁と事業が引き継がれた。