Pathway to Japanese Literature

Death of the Goddess

I

In the very beginning, when the world took form. When heaven and earth first solidified, there appeared alongside them—in the Plain of High Heaven above—the deity known as Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami, foremost ancestor of us Japanese people. Next were born the two deities Takamimusubi-no-Kami and Kamimusubi-no-Kami.

At that time, neither heaven nor earth had fully solidified; both remained viscous like oil afloat, undulating softly as jellyfish drifting through void. Into this swirling mire, two deities were born—sprouting like young reed shoots piercing primordial waters. Then came two more deities, followed by pairs of male and female gods—eight divine beings born in succession—until at last emerged Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the male and female creator deities.

Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami summoned these two noble deities, “Go forth—solidify that floating, unsteady land and create the Land of Japan.” With these words, He bestowed upon them a magnificent spear. Thereupon, the two deities promptly proceeded to Ama-no-Ukihashi—a bridge floating amidst the clouds—and with the spear they had received, stirred the viscous expanse below. When they swiftly withdrew it, the brine clinging to the spear’s tip dripped down in thick droplets, solidifying into a single small island.

The two deities descended to that island, where they erected a magnificent palace and took up residence. First, they fashioned Awaji Island. Then came the island of Shikoku—comprising Iyo, Sanuki, Awa, and Tosa—followed by Oki Island. Next, they created what was then called Chikushi (present-day Kyushu), along with the three islands of Iki, Tsushima, and Sado. And finally, they fashioned Honshu—the largest island, shaped like a lizard—and bestowed upon it the august name Ōyashima Toyoakitsushima.

With this, counting from Awaji Island, eight islands had been formed in their entirety. Therefore, in the very beginning, Japan was called Great Eight-Island Land and also revered by another name: Lush Reed-Plain Land of Fresh Rice Ears.

Thus, with the land now fully formed at last, the two deities next proceeded to bring forth a multitude of gods. Alongside them, they also brought forth deities governing wind and sea; mountain deities; field deities; river deities; and finally—the fire deity. Tragically, however, when Izanami-no-Mikoto gave birth to that final fire deity, she suffered burns across her body and ultimately passed away because of it.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto,

“Ah, my beloved wife! To lose you—so precious—because of that single child…” Izanagi-no-Mikoto lamented with profound grief. And then, amidst his tears, he finally buried the goddess’s remains on Mount Hiba, which lies at the border between the Land of Izumo and the Province of Hōki.

The goddess, from there, departed definitively to the Land of Yomi—a pitch-dark realm where the dead journey.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto, immediately afterward, drew forth the long sword known as the Ten-Hand-Length Sword and in a single stroke struck down the fire deity who had been the source of the goddess’s calamity. However, the god’s profound grief could not be assuaged by such an act. Resolved to meet the goddess once more at all costs, he finally pursued her into the pitch-dark Land of Yomi.

II The goddess had, of course, long since arrived at the palace of the Yomi deities. Thereupon, the husband deity arrived after making the long journey to visit, so the goddess hurried to the entrance to receive him.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto called out to the goddess from within the pitch-darkness, “My beloved wife, O goddess! The land we were to create together remains unfinished. Please return once more,” he entreated. Then the goddess, with a look of profound regret, “If only you had deigned to come retrieve me sooner. Since I have now partaken of food cooked by the defiled fires of this land, I fear I can no longer return to the world above. However, since you have come all this way, I shall at least consult with the Yomi deities. Please, no matter what may occur during this time, do not look upon my form. I implore you,” the goddess earnestly entreated, and proceeded into the inner chambers of the palace.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto remained motionlessly waiting at the entrance for a long time. However, the goddess—remaining as she was—did not emerge no matter how long he waited. At last, Izanagi-no-Mikoto could no longer endure the torment of waiting. He finally removed the comb from his left hair bun, broke off one of its large teeth, lit it as a torch, and—illuminating the darkness faintly while feeling his way with his feet—proceeded deep into the palace’s inner chambers.

Thereupon, in the innermost part of the palace, the goddess lay resting. When he beheld her form in the torchlight, her entire body had thoroughly putrefied into a sloughing mass, and a foul, repulsive stench assailed his nostrils. All over that putrid flesh, maggots squirmed and seethed. Upon her head, chest, stomach, thighs, hands and feet crouched eight thunder deities—born from that corruption—each bearing a dreadful visage.

When Izanagi-no-Mikoto beheld that state, he was utterly astonished and, overwhelmed by terror, hastily fled.

The goddess abruptly sat upright, “Oh dear—despite my earnest warnings, you have finally seen me in this state.” “Oh, how utterly detestable you are!” “You have subjected people to terrible shame.” “How infuriating!” she exclaimed with towering wrath, immediately summoning female oni demons. “Now, quickly—seize that deity!” she commanded, gnashing her teeth.

The female oni demons,

“You there, stop!” they shouted, relentlessly pursuing him. Izanagi-no-Mikoto, realizing it would be dire if those demons caught him, ran while plucking the black katsura leaves adorning his hair and relentlessly hurled them backward.

Then, before his very eyes, where the katsura leaves had fallen, grapes swelled into lush clusters. The female oni demons abruptly grabbed the grapes and began devouring them. Just as the god—seizing this interval—desperately fled and finally managed to put some slight distance between himself and his pursuers, the female oni demons soon closed in on him from behind once more.

The god, “Oh dear, this won’t do,” he thought, removing the comb from his right hair bun this time. He snapped off its teeth one by one and flung them behind him. At once, the comb’s teeth transformed into bamboo shoots sprouting successively from end to end. When the female oni demons saw these shoots, they promptly yanked them out and began noisily chewing.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto, seizing that opening, this time fled a considerable distance ahead. And deeming himself now surely safe, when he glanced back over his shoulder—unexpectedly—the eight thunder deities who had surrounded the goddess earlier came charging forth with a horde of fifteen hundred demons in desperate pursuit. When the god saw this, he frantically drew the Ten-Hand-Length Sword and, while swinging it vigorously behind him, desperately fled for his life. At last, he managed to escape to the foot of Yomotsu Hirasaka—the slope marking the boundary between this world and the Land of Yomi.

III

Thereupon, at the base of that slope stood a single peach tree. The god took three peaches from that tree, waited for the demons to draw near, then hurled all three fruits at them with all his might. When he did so, the thunder deities started and scattered in disarray, fleeing every which way. Facing those peaches, "You shall henceforth aid all in Japan who face hardship, just as you have aided me now," he declared, deigning to bestow upon them the august name Ōmikami-no-Minamuchi-no-Mikoto.

Thereupon, the goddess, having grown unbearably impatient, now deigned to give chase herself. When the god beheld this, he hastily seized the massive boulder that lay there, pressed it against, and completely sealed the mouth of the slope.

The goddess, blocked by that boulder and unable to advance a single step beyond it, glared at the rock with bitter resentment while— “O god, my husband! Then as recompense, I shall strangle a thousand people of Japan each day—mark my words!” she declared. The god retorted, “My beloved wife, if you commit such atrocities, I shall have fifteen hundred children born daily across Japan—I care not!” he declared, and continued briskly on his way back.

The god,

“Ah, I have come to such a defiled place. I must hasten to wash this body and cleanse its impurities,” he declared, and made his way to a place called Awagihara in Hyuga Province. There flowed a pure river.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto cast his staff onto the riverbank, then removed his obi belt, lower hakama, upper garment, crown, and the bracelets fitted upon both his arms—divesting himself entirely. Thereupon, each time he removed one of those articles, twelve deities in total were born effortlessly, one after another.

The god observed the river’s current. The upper rapids were swift, The lower rapids were gentle.

Having declared this, he descended to a midstream section with suitably moderate current, poured water over himself, and washed his entire body. Then, due to the impurities clinging to his body, two deities of calamity were born. Therefore, Izanagi-no-Mikoto sired three benevolent deities this time to remove the calamities created by those entities. Then, when he dove to the river’s depths and purified his body, two more deities were born. Next, when he crouched within the water to wash himself, another two deities emerged. Finally, when he rose to the water’s surface to rinse himself, two further deities came into being. And finally, when he washed his left eye, therewith was born a most beautiful and noble goddess.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto bestowed upon this august goddess the name Amaterasu-Ōmikami. Then, when he washed his right eye, the deity Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was born; lastly, when he washed his nose, the deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto was born.

Izanagi-no-Mikoto gazed upon these three august ones,

“Though I have sired many children until now, at last I have begotten truly exceptional ones,” declared Izanagi-no-Mikoto with utmost jubilation. He promptly removed his jeweled necklace and, shaking it with a rustling sound, presented it to Amaterasu-Ōmikami. And then, “You shall ascend to heaven and rule Takamagahara,” he declared. Then, to Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto,

“You shall govern the Land of Night,” he commanded, and to the third child, Susanoo-no-Mikoto,

“You shall govern the seas,” he commanded.

Heavenly Rock Cave

I

Amaterasu-Ōmikami and her second younger brother Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto obeyed their father’s divine command and governed the Great Sky and the Land of Night respectively.

However, the youngest child, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, not only refused to heed his father’s command—showing no intention of governing the seas no matter how much time passed—but even after growing into a great adult with a splendid long beard that hung down to his chest, he still threw tantrums like a newborn infant, wailing uncontrollably without cease, rendering him utterly unmanageable. As for the severity of his wailing—truly, the verdant mountains’ vegetation withered from the deafening clamor, and rivers and seas’ waters dried up completely under those scorching wails.

Thereupon, all manner of evil deities exploited the commotion and noisily stirred up trouble. Because of this, every manner of calamity erupted across the land all at once. When Izanagi-no-Mikoto beheld this, he was astonished and promptly summoned Susanoo-no-Mikoto. "Why do you persist in ignoring my words and wailing so uncontrollably?" he rebuked sternly.

Thereupon, Susanoo-no-Mikoto vehemently retorted,

“I cry because I want to be by Mother’s side,” said Susanoo-no-Mikoto pleadingly.

When Izanagi-no-Mikoto heard this, he became greatly enraged,

“Such a willful child cannot remain in this land. Go forth to whatever place you will!” he declared.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto was unperturbed,

“In that case, I shall go bid farewell to my elder sister,” declared Susanoo-no-Mikoto as he began his ascent straight toward Takamagahara in the heavens above, pressing onward with vigorous determination. Thereupon, being the mighty lord of formidable strength, when he stomped forward with all his might in violent strides, mountains and rivers groaned and shifted, and the entire world quaked and trembled.

Amaterasu-Ōmikami was startled by the reverberations,

“The fact that my younger brother ascends with such ferocity is certainly no ordinary matter. He must certainly have come intending to seize my land.”

Having declared this, she promptly prepared herself. The goddess first hurriedly untied her hair, bound it into a male-style topknot, and adorned both her temples and arms with splendid jeweled ornaments known as the Eight-Foot Curved Jewel. Then, upon her back she bore a grand quiver of five hundred—nay, a thousand—arrows, and while taking up a bow in her right hand to thrust it forward, she stamped her feet with vigor and stood poised in readiness. With her forceful stomping, the hard soil of the garden scattered like powder snow, swirling into the air.

II Before long, Susanoo-no-Mikoto reached the great heavens. When the goddess beheld his form, she raised her voice and,

“Lord Mikoto, what brings you here?” she suddenly rebuked. Thereupon, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, “No, I have certainly not come with any ill intent. “When Father saw me weeping and demanded to know why I cried, I explained that I wished to go where Mother dwells. He became furious and abruptly ordered me to depart, so I have come to bid you farewell.”

But the goddess did not immediately deign to trust him,

“Then show me proof that you harbor no ill intent,” she declared.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto said, “Then let us bear children to establish proof. Through the offspring born, the true nature of our hearts shall be revealed,” he declared.

Thereupon, the divine siblings took their positions on opposite banks of the river called Ama-no-Yasu. Then first, the goddess took Lord Mikoto’s Ten-Hand-Length Sword, broke it into three pieces, washed it in the well called Ama-no-Manai, crunched it with her teeth, and puffed out a mist—whereupon three goddesses were born from her breath.

Next, Lord Mikoto took the Eight-Foot Curved Jewel ornament adorning the goddess’s left temple, washed and rinsed it in the well called Ama-no-Manai while making the jewels clatter noisily, then crunched it with his teeth and blew out a mist—whereupon one male deity was born together with it. That deity was Ame-no-Oshihomimi-no-Mikoto. Then next, he took the jewel ornament from the goddess’s right temple, and when he blew upon it in the same manner as before, from within it another male deity was born.

Proceeding next, he received the jeweled ornament from her vine-coiled hair, washed it again in Ama-no-Manai Well, crunched it between his teeth, and blew his breath upon it—whereupon another male deity was born therefrom. Finally, when he chewed the jeweled ornaments adorning both the right and left arms of the goddess and blew his breath each time, one male deity emerged per blowing—thus bringing the total number of male deities born to five.

Amaterasu-Ōmikami,

“The three goddesses born first are your children because they were created from your sword. The latter five male deities were created from my jeweled ornaments—therefore they are my children,” declared Amaterasu-Ōmikami.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto said, “Indeed, I have won.” “As proof that I harbor no ill intent, are not all my children gentle goddesses?” “Well then? Am I still the villain?” he declared triumphantly, swelling with pride. Then, riding on that momentum, he began rampaging—destroying the ridges of the rice paddies the goddess had cultivated, filling in the ditches, and finally committing such outrageous acts as scattering excrement in the hall where the goddess partook of the first harvest offerings.

The other deities, seeing this, were utterly appalled and came to report to the goddess.

However, the goddess did not grow angry in the slightest, "What? Leave him be. "He is absolutely not acting with ill intent. "He likely vomited those filthy things in a drunken stupor. "As for destroying the ridges and ditches—it must have been because he found it wasteful to leave such precious land as mere ditches."

Having said this, she instead rose to defend Lord Mikoto. Thereupon, Susanoo-no-Mikoto grew ever more emboldened. At last, he shattered the roof of the weaving hall where women were crafting garments for the goddess, tore off a dappled horse's hide through the gaping hole, drenched it in blood, and hurled it down with a thunderous crash. Startled, the weaving women fled in panic, and in their frenzy, the spindles pierced their lower abdomens, killing them.

The goddess, finally unable to endure Lord Mikoto’s excessive violence, retreated into seclusion within a stone chamber known as the Rock Cave of Heaven. And having firmly closed the rock door at the entrance, she remained secluded there. Now, since the goddess was none other than the Sun Deity, the moment she concealed her divine form, both Takamagahara and the lands below were plunged into utter darkness all at once—truly becoming a world of endless night where day and night could no longer be distinguished.

Thereupon, various evil gods took advantage of the darkness and began raising a raucous uproar. Because of this, every conceivable calamity erupted across the world all at once. For this reason, the heavenly deities found themselves in grave distress, and gathering together at a riverbank in the heavens called Ama-no-Yasu, they earnestly deliberated whether there might be some way to make Amaterasu-Ōmikami emerge from the Rock Cave.

Then, Omoikane-no-Kami—the wisest of deities—devised an excellent plan. At that deity’s command, everyone promptly gathered roosters in great numbers and made them crow incessantly before the Rock Cave. Meanwhile, on another front, they brought sturdy rocks from the upper reaches of the Ama-no-Yasu River, used them as anvils to have a magnificent mirror called the Eight-Span Mirror forged, and crafted a splendid chest ornament with a jewel known as the Eight-Foot Curved Jewel. Then, they uprooted a sacred sakaki tree from Mount Ama-no-Kagu and brought it forth. To its upper branches they attached the Eight-Foot Curved Jewel, hung the Eight-Span Mirror upon its middle branches, and from its lower branches suspended strips of white and blue cloth. Then one deity stood before the Rock Cave of Heaven holding the sacred sakaki tree, while another deity beside them recited a ritual prayer.

Then, they likewise placed an empty barrel upside down before the Rock Cave, had the goddess Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto drape vine tendrils from Mount Ama-no-Kagu across her shoulders as a sash, adorn her hair with katsura leaves, and ascend atop the barrel to perform a dance. Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, with her breasts, belly, and thighs fully exposed, stamped her feet rhythmically and whirled around and around in a frenzied dance, as if possessed. Then, at this sight so utterly comical, thousands of gods all at once burst into uproarious laughter, rolling about in mirth together. Thereupon, the roosters crowed in unison—*Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!*—so that the commotion reached such a crescendo it nearly deafened the ears.

When Amaterasu-Ōmikami heard the tremendous clamor, she wondered what had occurred. Slightly opening the door of the Rock Cave, she peered cautiously outward. And turning to Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto,

“Now now, if I remain hidden here, the heavens above should be plunged into darkness—so why are you dancing about so amused?” “And why have all the other deities dissolved into such laughter?” she inquired.

Thereupon, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto declared reverently, "It is because a deity more noble than you has graced us with their presence, and thus everyone rejoices and makes merry."

At that very moment, one deity suddenly thrust forward the sacred sakaki tree bearing the Eight-Span Mirror before the great goddess. In the mirror, the great goddess’s face was swiftly reflected. The great goddess gazed upon her own reflected face,

“Oh, who could this be?” she said while deigning to see more clearly, stepping slightly outside the door.

Then, Tajikarao-no-Mikoto—the god of great strength who had been hiding and lying in wait near the rock cave since earlier—suddenly seized the goddess’s hand and pulled her completely outside. At the same time, another deity circled around behind the goddess, “I humbly beseech you to never again enter this dwelling,” they reverently declared, stretching a sacred rope across the entrance.

And so, throughout the world, the long night finally ended, and bright day came once more.

The gods were finally put at ease. Thereupon, they swiftly deliberated together and, as punishment for Susanoo-no-Mikoto’s outrageous acts of violence, compelled him to forfeit all his possessions. Furthermore, they sheared off his magnificent beard, tore the nails from his hands and feet, and cast him down to the lower world.

At that time, Susanoo-no-Mikoto commanded the goddess Ooketsuhime-no-Mikoto to prepare something for him to eat. Ooketsuhime-no-Mikoto, obeying his command, promptly produced various foods from her nostrils and mouth, then prepared them in diverse ways and offered them to him.

Then, Susanoo-no-Mikoto was watching what Ooketsuhime-no-Mikoto was doing,

“What the— You expect me to eat something that came out of your mouth and nose?! You insolent wretch!” he roared, his fury erupting as he abruptly drew his sword and struck down Ooketsuhime-no-Mikoto in a single blow.

Then, from the head of her corpse, silkworms were born; rice plants grew from both eyes, and millet sprouted from her two ears. Then, azuki beans sprouted from her nose, and barley and soybeans grew from her abdomen. Kamimusubi-no-Kami gathered these and made them into seeds for grains throughout Japan.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto thereupon descended to the lower world.

Eight-Branched Serpent

1

Susanoo-no-Mikoto was cast down from the heavens and descended to a place called Torikami at the upper reaches of the Hino River in the Land of Izumo.

Then, chopsticks came flowing down the river. His Augustness beheld this,

Then, surmising *Ah, so there must be people living upstream along this river*, he promptly set out in that direction, searching intently. Thereupon, an old man and an old woman sat with their daughter positioned between them, all three wailing bitterly.

His Augustness inquired, "Who are you all?" The old man replied,

“I am a child of Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami who presides over this land—my name being Ashinazuchi,” he answered reverently. “My wife’s name is Tenazuchi, and our daughter here bears the name Kushinadahime.”

His Augustness pressed further: “Then why are all three of you weeping?” he inquired again.

The old man wiped his tears, “We two originally had eight daughters,” he began, wiping his tears, “but a fearsome great serpent called the Eight-Branched Serpent has come every year and devoured them one by one, until now only this child remains.” “Even this child here—the great serpent will soon come to devour her as well.” Having said this, they all proceeded to explain, through their tears, the reason for their weeping.

“What exactly does this great serpent look like?” His Augustness inquired. “This great serpent we speak of possesses a single body, yet its heads and tails divide into eight parts. Each of those eight heads bears eyes as crimson as red winter cherries, blazing like flames.” “Moreover, all over its body, moss and trees like cypress and cedar have grown thickly.” “The full length of its body spans so vast it could encircle eight valleys and eight mountains—a truly enormous serpent.” “Its belly is always festering with blood, crimson red,” he explained in a terrified voice.

His Augustness,

“Hmph, very well,” His Augustness nodded solemnly. And once again, His Augustness turned to the old man and

“If that girl’s your child, how ’bout givin’ her to me as my bride?” His Augustness declared.

“With all due respect to your words, but as I do not know who your excellency might be or from where…” the old man apprehensively and timidly replied. “In truth, I am Amaterasu-Ōmikami’s brother from the same womb, having just now descended from the heavens,” he candidly declared, revealing his august name. Then, both Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi—

“Is that so, Your Augustness? How dreadful—how dreadful! Then we shall offer her exactly as Your Augustness commands,” they said, pressing their hands to the ground in deference.

His Augustness, upon receiving Kushinadahime, promptly transformed the princess into a comb. Then, he immediately inserted that comb into his own coiled hair and addressed Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi. "You all must now chew the rice and brew abundant good sake. Then erect a fence around this area and make eight gates in that fence. Within each gate, build one platform each. Place a large vat atop every platform, fill each to the brim with the fine sake you two brew, and wait," commanded Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

The two of them prepared everything exactly as commanded and waited. Before long, the time approached when the great serpent would appear. His Augustness stood vigil upon hearing this, and soon enough—just as they had foretold—the enormous Eight-Branched Serpent emerged with its massive crimson eyes blazing fiercely, lumbering forth ponderously. When the great serpent saw eight sake barrels arrayed before it, it abruptly thrust each of its eight heads into them one by one, guzzling down all that splendid liquor in mere moments with great gulping sounds. Then, as the alcohol swiftly coursed through its entire body, it collapsed on the spot and fell into a deep slumber with thunderous snores.

His Augustness Susanoo-no-Mikoto quietly observed its slumbering breaths until, deciding *Now is the moment*, he swiftly drew his Ten-Hand-Length Sword and—*You fiend! You fiend!*—rained down blow after blow upon it. When His Augustness struck the middlemost tail among the eight tails, there was something hard within that tail, and the tip of his sword chipped slightly.

His Augustness,

"Hmm, something's amiss here," His Augustness thought. When he sliced open that part and examined it, there emerged from within a truly splendid sword with an exceedingly sharp blade. His Augustness thought this was a strange object that had come into his possession. That sword was later reverently presented to Amaterasu-Ōmikami.

His Augustness finally finished cutting the enormous serpent’s body into tattered shreds. And then, “Ashinazuchi, Tenazuchi—come and see.” “See here—exactly as I said,” His Augustness called out. When the two of them came out trembling violently, the entire area was filled with blood gushing from the great serpent’s body, torn to fragments. The blood poured ceaselessly into the Hino River, and the river’s waters turned crimson as they cascaded away.

His Augustness, together with Kushinadahime, intending to reside henceforth in the Land of Izumo as they were, searched here and there for a place to build his palace. And finally, when His Augustness arrived at a place called Suga,

“Ah, coming here has cleared my spirits.” “This is an excellent place,” declared His Augustness, and there he erected a palace. And he appointed Ashinazuchi-no-Kami as the head official of that palace.

His Augustness had children and grandchildren in rapid succession, one after another. To the child of that eighth-generation grandchild was born Ōkuninushi-no-Kami—a splendid deity also revered as Ōanamuchi-no-Kami.

Centipede Chamber, Serpent Chamber

1.

This Ōkuninushi-no-Kami had eighty deities as siblings—a great multitude numbering in the dozens. The eighty deities, upon hearing that there was a beautiful woman named Yagami-hime in the Land of Inaba, each thought to take her as their own bride. Together as one group, they journeyed all the way to Inaba. The group took advantage of Ōkuninushi-no-Kami’s gentle nature, using him as a substitute attendant by making him carry their bags and follow along. And when they arrived at Keta coast in Inaba, there lay a hairless, red-skinned rabbit sprawled on the ground, its entire body heaving as though in agony.

When the eighty deities saw this,

“O Rabbit,” they jeered, “if you want fur to grow on that body of yours, soak in this sea’s tide, climb a high mountain, and lie there letting the wind whip at you. Do that, and fur’ll sprout all over you quick enough!” The rabbit took them at their word. It plunged into the sea at once, emerged dripping wet, staggered up the mountainside, and collapsed there as told.

Then, as the seawater dried, the skin all over its body pulled taut and burst into tatters with a sickening rip. The rabbit, unable to endure the searing, excruciating pain, lay prostrate and wailed. Then, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, the attendant who had been following last, saw this,

“Oh, dear rabbit, why are you crying so much?” he asked kindly.

The rabbit, sobbing, “I was originally a rabbit from Oki Island. Though I wished to cross to this mainland, I had no means to do so. So I deceived the crocodiles in the sea: ‘Let us see which of us—you or I—has more clansmen. Bring all your kin and have them line up from here all the way to Keta Cape yonder. Then I shall traverse their backs and tally them for you,’ I proposed.”

Then the crocodiles were utterly deceived. They all came forth without exception—swarming in teeming masses until the sea turned pitch black with their gathering. "And just as I'd instructed," I continued, "they lined up in an imposing row all the way to this shoreline." "I was counting off numbers—fifty, eighty!—striding briskly over their backs, just one step from reaching shore... when I jeered, 'Ha! You dimwitted crocs! Played you all like fools!' That's when the last crocodile flared up, snatched me sudden-like, and ripped off every scrap of my fur—just like this!"

“So there I lay prostrate and wailing at that spot when the eighty deities who had passed by earlier said, ‘We’ll teach you a clever trick—do this and that!’ I followed their instructions exactly—soaked in seawater and let the wind blow over me—but then my skin stiffened all over and split apart with a sickening tear, just like this!” With these words, the rabbit began bawling.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, having heard the tale and deeming it pitiable, “Then quickly go to that river mouth over there. Wash your entire body thoroughly with fresh water, pluck the cattail flowers growing nearby, spread them beneath you, and lie down upon them.” “If you do that, it will properly heal back to how it was.”

Having said this, he graciously instructed. When the rabbit heard this, it was greatly pleased and expressed its gratitude. And after that, the rabbit said, “Those wicked eighty deities will never make Yagami-hime their own.” “Though you are carrying their bags and accompanying them, Yagami-hime will surely become your bride.” “Please do watch and see,” declared the rabbit.

Before long, the eighty deities arrived at Yagami-hime’s dwelling. And then, one after another, they demanded, “Be my bride! Be my bride!” but the princess rejected each and every one of them, “No, no matter how much you insist, it will not be as you wish.” “I shall become the bride of Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, who stands there,” she declared.

When the eighty deities heard this, they became enraged and resolved to conspire together to kill Ōkuninushi-no-Kami.

The group took Ōkuninushi-no-Kami to the foot of Tema Mountain in Hōki Province and,

“There is a red boar on this mountain.” “We will now drive that boar down from the mountaintop—you stay below and catch it.” “If you bungle this and let it escape, we’ll kill you!” they declared. Then, hurrying, they rushed up the mountain, built a roaring bonfire, and within the flames heated a large boar-shaped stone until it glowed red-hot. “There! Catch it!” they roared while sending it crashing down with a thunderous roll.

At the mountain’s base where Ōkuninushi-no-Kami had been lying in wait, the moment he beheld it, he rushed forth in haste and threw himself upon the object with all his might—only for his body to instantly adhere to the scorching stone’s searing surface,

He let out a sharp “Ah!” and in that very moment perished—utterly destroyed in a wretched death.

2. When Ōkuninushi-no-Kami’s birth mother heard of this, she lamented deeply and, weeping bitterly, soared into the heavens to beseech Takamimusubi-no-Kami—the deity dwelling in Takamagahara—for aid. Thereupon, Takamimusubi-no-Kami immediately dispatched to the lower world two shell women named Hamagai-hime and Hamaguri-hime—an ark shell and a clam. When the two women hurriedly descended and looked, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami lay collapsed at the mountain’s base, his body charred completely black. Akagai promptly scraped off her own shell, burned it, and prepared a black powder. Hamaguri hurriedly drew water, kneaded the black powder into a milk-like paste, and together the two of them slathered it over Ōkuninushi-no-Kami’s entire body.

Then, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami’s grievous burns healed instantly, and he rose up restored to his original form—a beautiful young god once more. And he strode briskly back home.

When the eighty deities saw that, they were astonished and once again began conspiring together in hushed tones. Then, skillfully deceiving Ōkuninushi-no-Kami once more, they led him into a different mountain this time. Then, they all gathered around, cut down a large standing tree from its base, drove a wedge into the split, and forced Ōkuninushi-no-Kami into the gap. After doing so, they suddenly knocked out the wedge with a sharp *pon* and crushed him to death.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami’s mother, shocked that her young divine child had vanished once more, searched frantically in every direction. When she finally discovered her divine child once more in the throes of being slain, she hastily split open the tree trunk and retrieved the young god’s lifeless body. And nursing him with all her might, she at last managed to revive him once more.

His mother,

“You can no longer remain heedless in this land. Flee at once to Ne-no-Kuni where Susanoo-no-Mikoto dwells. If you do so, His Lordship will assuredly devise matters to your advantage.”

Having said this, she had the young deity rise and depart just as he was toward that direction. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, as he had been instructed, duly arrived at the place where Susanoo-no-Mikoto resided. Then, Suseribime-hime—Susanoo-no-Mikoto’s daughter—graciously relayed, “Father, a beautiful god has arrived,” she announced.

The Great God Father, upon hearing this, hurriedly went out himself to see,

“Ah, that is the god called Ōkuninushi,” he declared. And then, he promptly summoned him. The Princess immediately came to hold Ōkuninushi-no-Kami in deep affection, truly perceiving him as a beautiful and noble figure.

To the Great God, first and foremost, this was not to his liking. Therefore, deciding to give this young god some trouble, that night he had Ōkuninushi-no-Kami sleep in what was called the Serpent Chamber—a vile room teeming with swarms of large and small snakes.

At this, the gentle Suseribime-hime felt deeply sorry for him. Therefore, she quietly handed Ōkuninushi-no-Kami her ceremonial stole—a cloth known as a *hire*, used like a shawl—and, “If the snakes come to bite you, wave this cloth three times to drive them away,” she instructed.

Before long, all the snakes raised their hooded heads and came slithering forth in a mass. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami promptly did as instructed and waved the ceremonial cloth three times. Then miraculously, the snakes withdrew of their own accord and remained frozen in place all night long, causing no harm whatsoever. Thanks to this, the young god slept soundly through the night, and come morning appeared before the Great God with perfect composure.

Thereupon, the Great God had him sleep that night in a room teeming with centipedes and bees. However, the Princess once again secretly handed him another piece of her necklace, so Ōkuninushi-no-Kami used it that night as well to ward off the centipedes and bees, resting soundly throughout the entire night. The Great God, seeing that Ōkuninushi-no-Kami had calmly endured two nights straight, inwardly resolved This time I'll make sure he doesn't escape, and loosed a fearsome large arrow—a whistling arrow with a hollow tip that shrilled piercingly when shot—into the center of a vast field overgrown with wild grasses. And then, facing Ōkuninushi-no-Kami,

“Now, go retrieve the arrow I just shot,” commanded Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The young god obediently heeded the divine command and immediately began parting the grasses, boldly making his way into the field. The Great God observed this intently, then suddenly set fire to the entire perimeter of the field and began burning it fiercely. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, before he could even think *Oh?*, found himself suddenly surrounded by flames from all directions, utterly deprived of any means of escape. And so, as he stood there startled at what to do and utterly bewildered, a single mouse emerged before him,

“Inside hollows; outside narrows,” it said. This meant the space within was cavernous while the exterior tapered inward. The young god instantly comprehended this riddle and stomped violently beneath his feet. As he did so, the ground indeed revealed a massive cavity beneath him, into which he plunged bodily. There he stayed motionless and curled in hiding until the flames that had crept perilously close raced over the hole’s mouth and dwindled into the distance.

Before long, the mouse from earlier properly located the whistling arrow the Great God had shot and brought it back clamped in its mouth. When he looked, the arrow’s fletching had been completely gnawed away by the mouse’s children at some point.

Three Unaware of any of this, Suseribime-hime—believing the beautiful young god must have perished in the flames—grieved alone in sorrow. And as soon as the fire died down, she hurriedly took funeral tools and went searching while weeping. The Great God Father—thinking he must surely be dead this time—came to see after the Princess.

Then, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami emerged from the ashes, completely unchanged in appearance. And then he properly presented the whistling arrow into His Lordship’s hands. His Lordship the Great God was inwardly astonished by this as well, and with no other choice, returned together to the palace. And then His Lordship led him into a grand hall, and no sooner had they entered than he lay down right there. “Hey, remove the lice from my head,” he abruptly commanded.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami respectfully complied and parted the long, long hair to inspect it—only to find that within, instead of lice, there were numerous centipedes swarming en masse. Then, Suseribime-hime came to his side and secretly handed him mukunoki fruits and red clay before departing.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami crushed each mukunoki fruit one by one, chewed small amounts of red clay, and spat them out together with pfft pfft sounds. The Great God observed this,

“Hoh. He’s crushing each centipede one by one,” he thought. “This is an admirable fellow.” With a sense of relief, he drifted off into peaceful slumber. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, thinking *If I linger here any longer, there’s no telling what fresh calamities await*, took advantage of His Lordship’s deep slumber. He divided the long hair into several bundles, tied each to the surrounding *taru* trees, then quietly propped an enormous boulder—one requiring five hundred men to move—against the entrance to bar escape from within. Clutching His Lordship’s great sword, bow and arrows, and the jewel-adorned noble koto, he hastily hoisted Suseribime-hime onto his back and slipped stealthily out of the palace.

As ill luck would have it, the koto he was carrying struck a tree trunk, resounding with a great clatter. The Great God, startled by the noise, abruptly rose to his feet. Now, since his hair had been tied to all the surrounding taru trees, when the immensely powerful Great God suddenly stood up, the chamber crashed down with a splintering roar.

The Great God bellowed, "You damn brat god!" utterly enraged, but as he painstakingly untangled his hair bundle by agonizing bundle, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami kept running with desperate determination, swiftly putting vast distances between them in his escape.

Thereupon, the Great God soon gave chase and finally arrived at the top of the slope called Yomotsu Hirasaka. And from there, he called out to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami in the distance and, straining his voice loudly, spoke thus.

“Hey, hey, brat god! With that sword and bow and arrows, drive your eighty sibling gods to the mountain bases, into the rivers—hunt them down and cut them all down wherever they flee! Become the chief of this land’s gods! Build a palace at the foot of Mount Uka and dwell there! I’ll give you my daughter for your bride. Got it?!” he roared. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami took up the Great God’s sword and bow—now formally bestowed—and set out to subjugate the eighty gods. He pursued them relentlessly as they scattered in all directions, cutting them down and hurling them into the slopes below and rivers nearby, until finally not a single one remained—he had wiped them out completely. Having become chief of the land’s gods, he built a grand palace beneath Mount Uka and lived happily with Suseribime-hime.

Four In time, the aforementioned Yagami-hime—who had yearned for Ōkuninushi-no-Kami—journeyed afar to visit him. Yet finding that Ōkuninushi-no-Kami had already taken Suseribime-hime as his splendid bride, she wilted like salt-dried seaweed and returned home once more.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami thereafter continued subduing the lands in all directions one after another, gradually expanding the realm as he proceeded. Now, as he was thus engaged, one day when Ōkuninushi-no-Kami had gone to the seaside of Misaki in the Land of Izumo, a tiny god came rowing vigorously toward him from far across the sea, accompanied by attendants. The boat he rode was made from the fruit of a *gagaimo* plant—a small grass seed—and the robe he wore was crafted from the fully peeled hide of a *hitorimushi* insect.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami approached the god and,

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami inquired, “Who might you be?” However, that god kept his mouth shut and did not reveal his name. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami asked his attendant gods, but none of them could ascertain who that god was. Then a toad came waddling out to that very spot and said, “If it’s Kuenhiko we’re talking about, he would surely know.” Kuenhiko was a scarecrow standing in the mountain fields. Though he could not move his legs and thus could not take a single step, he knew everything about this mortal realm below.

Thereupon, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami hurriedly inquired of Kuenhiko,

“Ah, that god is the divine child of Kamimusubi-no-Kami who resides in the great heavens—the one known as Sukunabikona-no-Kami,” he answered. Ōkuninushi-no-Kami promptly made inquiries to Kamimusubi-no-Kami, and the god—

"That is indeed my child," he declared. And facing Sukunabikona-no-Kami anew,

“You shall become siblings with Ōkuninushi-no-Kami and together open up and solidify the lands,” commanded Kamimusubi-no-Kami.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, following those divine words, proceeded to gradually create and open up the lands together with Sukunabikona-no-Kami. However, Sukunabikona-no-Kami later abruptly departed for the Land of Eternity—a distant realm beyond the sea—never to return.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, disheartened, lamented, “Alone, I cannot possibly open up the lands as I desired. Is there no god who might lend me their strength?”—utterly drained.

Just at that moment, a single god came approaching, glittering across the entire surface of the sea as he drew near. That was Ōtoshi-no-Kami, the child of Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The god then addressed Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, “If you will enshrine me properly, I shall join you in building and solidifying the lands.” “You alone could never accomplish it,” declared Ōtoshi-no-Kami.

“Then how should I perform your enshrinement?” he inquired, “You should enshrine me upon Mount Mimoro in Yamato,” he declared.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami enshrined him there in accordance with these words and, together with that god, continued to gradually expand the lands.

Pheasant’s Messenger

One

In time, Amaterasu-Ōmikami of the Great Heavens turned to her child, Ame-no-Oshihomimi-no-Mikoto, “The land you see below—that Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni—is the realm you must govern,” she declared, then commanded him to descend immediately. Mikoto acknowledged the command with reverence. However, when he proceeded to the Heavenly Floating Bridge and gazed down from there, he saw that below, vigorous gods were running amok in every direction, causing great turmoil. Mikoto hurriedly turned back and reported this matter to the Great Goddess.

Therefore, Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami promptly summoned and assembled a multitude of deities at the riverbank of Ama-no-Yasukawa,

“That Land of Watery Rice Ears is a realm our descendants ought to govern, yet now vicious gods are rampaging there with ferocious intensity.” “To make those unruly deities meekly obey our will—who in creation should we dispatch?” they proclaimed, then held council with all assembled.

Thereupon, the ever-thoughtful Omoikane-no-Kami convened a council with all the deities, “In that case, dispatching Ame-no-Hohi-no-Kami would be most suitable,” he proposed. Thereupon, the Great Goddess promptly dispatched that Ame-no-Hohi-no-Kami. However, when Ame-no-Hohi-no-Kami arrived in the lower world, he ended up becoming a subordinate of Ōkuninushi-no-Kami instead, and even after three years had passed, he sent no response whatsoever back to the heavens. Therefore, Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami once again summoned a multitude of deities,

“Ame-no-Hohi-no-Kami has still not returned—but who should we send this time?” they inquired.

Omoikane-no-Kami then responded,

“In that case, Ame-no-Wakahiko, child of Amatsukunitama-no-Kami, would be most suitable,” he answered. The Great Goddess, heeding those words, bestowed upon Ame-no-Wakahiko a magnificent bow and arrows, then had him carry these and sent him down to the lower world. Yet though Ame-no-Wakahiko properly had a true bride awaiting him in the heavens, upon descending below he not only took Shitateru-hime—daughter of Ōkuninushi-no-Kami—as another bride but also plotted to eventually seize control of Mizuho-no-Kuni for himself. In the end, even after eight years had passed, he sent no reply back to the Great Deities and did not return.

Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami once again summoned and assembled the deities, “The second time we dispatched Ame-no-Wakahiko, he too has ultimately not returned.” “Why on earth has he remained in the lower world for so long? We must send someone to rebuke him and demand an explanation—but whom should we dispatch this time?” they inquired.

Omoikane-no-Kami,

“In that case, Nakime the Pheasant would be most suitable,” he proposed.

The two great deities summoned that pheasant, “You shall now go and rebuke Ame-no-Wakahiko.” “Say to him: ‘Were you not sent to Mizuho-no-Kuni to subjugate the gods of this land? Yet why have you sent no reply these eight years?’ Demand an explanation and return.” Thus they commanded.

Nakime descended from the distant heavens, alighted upon a maple tree beside Ame-no-Wakahiko’s gate, and fully conveyed all that had been commanded by the Great Deities.

Then, a woman named Ame-no-Sagume, who served at Wakahiko’s residence, heard these words. “Over there’s a bird making an unpleasant cry,” she said. “I suggest you quickly shoot it and be done with,” she advised Wakahiko.

Wakahiko, “All right,” he said, taking out the bow and arrows he had received from the Great Deities, and abruptly shot and killed the pheasant. Then, the arrow that struck pierced through Nakime’s chest, rebounded back upward into the heavens, and fell beside Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami at the riverbank of Ama-no-Yasukawa. When Takamimusubi-no-Kami took the arrow in his hands and examined it, blood clung to its feathers.

Takamimusubi-no-Kami took the arrow in his hands and examined it, then declared, "This is the arrow we sent to Ame-no-Wakahiko," showing it to all the assembled deities. Afterward,

“If this arrow flew here after Wakahiko shot evil gods, let it not strike him.” “If Wakahiko harbors ill intent, shoot him dead,” he declared while thrusting the arrow down with all his might through the hole in the sky from which it had come.

Then, the arrow pierced clean through the very center of Ame-no-Wakahiko’s chest as he lay on his back in the lower world, killing him instantly.

Shitateru-hime, wife of Ame-no-Wakahiko, was startled and wailed at the top of her voice.

When the sound of weeping was carried by the wind and reached the heavens, Ame-no-Wakahiko's father Amatsukunitama-no-Kami, along with his true bride and children, heard it and descended to the lower world in shock. Weeping all the while, they built a mourning hut there—a shelter to lay out the dead—appointing herons as broom bearers for offerings, kingfishers as fishermen for ritual fish, sparrows as rice pounders for ceremonial rice, and pheasants as mourners. For eight days and eight nights, they played instruments beside Ame-no-Wakahiko's corpse to console his departed soul.

While this was happening, Takihirone-no-Kami—child of Ōkuninushi-no-Kami and elder brother of Shitateru-hime—arrived to offer condolences. Then Ame-no-Wakahiko’s father, wife, and children, “Oh!” they exclaimed in surprise, clinging to the god’s arms and legs as they— “Well now, you were alive after all?”

"Oh, you've remained alive for us?" they cried out, and all together burst into tears, weeping with joyful sobs. This occurred because Takihirone-no-Kami's face and form so perfectly resembled Ame-no-Wakahiko's that everyone instantly believed him to be none other than Wakahiko himself.

Then Takihirone-no-Kami flew into a crimson rage, roaring, "What absurdity is this? How dare you treat someone who came expressly to mourn as if they're some filthy corpse—what kind of fools do you take us for?!" While bellowing this, he drew his long sword and hacked the mourning hut to splinters, kicked the debris aside with sharp stomps, and stormed away in a fury. At that moment, his younger sister Shitateru-hime composed a song to inform Wakahiko's father, wife, and children—proudly proclaiming that this beautiful young deity was none other than her elder brother of such noble bearing.

二 Amaterasu-Ōmikami, for that reason, once again graciously consulted the deities, asking whom she should send this very time.

Omoikane-no-Kami and all the deities, “In that case, there remains no choice but to dispatch either Ohabari-no-Kami, who resides in the Heavenly Rock Cave above the Ama-no-Yasukawa River, or else his child Takemikazuchi-no-Kami—one of these two.” “However, Ohabari-no-Kami has dammed up the waters of the Ama-no-Yasukawa River, making the path impassable. Thus, ordinary deities cannot even approach to summon him.” “In that case, if Your Majesty were to dispatch Ame-no-Kaguyama to hear what Ohabari-no-Kami has to say, that would be most advisable,” they proposed.

Upon hearing this，Amaterasu－Ōmikami promptly dispatched Ame－no－Kaguyama－no－Kami，having him convey their inquiry．

Then Ohabari-no-Kami said, “This is too great an honor for one such as myself. Though I would indeed attend to this summons without delay, in matters of this nature, I humbly believe my son Takemikazuchi-no-Kami would prove most serviceable.”

Having said this, he promptly had that god attend before the Great Deity.

The Great Deity dispatched Takemikazuchi-no-Kami together with the deity Ame-no-Torifune-no-Kami. The two deities soon descended and arrived at Inasa Beach in the Land of Izumo. Then, drawing their long swords in unison, they thrust them upside down into the sea and sat cross-legged upon the upturned blades as they began negotiations with Ōkuninushi-no-Kami.

“By the command of Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami, we have come as envoys,” declared Takemikazuchi-no-Kami. “The Great Deity proclaims that this Central Land of Reed Plains under your rule shall be governed by her divine child. Will you fully cede this land in accordance with her decree? Or do you refuse?” Ōkuninushi-no-Kami bowed deferentially. “This humble one cannot answer definitively. My son Yaegikotoshironushi-no-Kami would offer the proper response—yet he currently attends to fishing at Ontake-no-Saki.”

Upon hearing this, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami immediately dispatched Ame-no-Torifune-no-Kami to Ontake-no-Saki and had Kotoshironushi-no-Kami summoned. Then they relayed to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami exactly what had been said.

Then, Kotoshironushi-no-Kami turned to his father, the god, and

“This is too gracious a divine command.” “As you command, I humbly offer this land to the divine child of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens,” he said while stepping on the side of the boat he had returned in, tilting it. When he performed a ritual handclap, the boat instantly transformed into a blue fence. Kotoshironushi-no-Kami hurriedly concealed himself within that fence.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami faced Ōkuninushi-no-Kami and, “Kotoshironushi-no-Kami has now stated his position as you heard. Are there any other children who hold differing opinions?” he inquired.

Ōkuninushi-no-Kami,

“Among my children, aside from Kotoshironushi-no-Kami, there exists another called Takeminakata-no-Kami.” “That concludes them all,” Ōkuninushi-no-Kami answered.

At that very moment, Takeminakata-no-Kami emerged, hoisting aloft with both hands an enormous boulder so massive that a thousand men could not budge it, “Hey! Who dares come to my land and whisper in secret like this?” “Come on, let’s test our strength.” “First, I’ll test my grip on your hand!” he declared while hurling down the massive boulder and closing in. The instant Takeminakata-no-Kami seized Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s hand, the Thunder God’s limb transformed into a pillar of ice. While Takeminakata-no-Kami stood frozen in shock, that hand swiftly transformed into a sword’s blade.

When Takeminakata-no-Kami, thoroughly frightened, began timidly backing away, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami—

“Now, it’s my turn!” he declared, and no sooner had he seized Takeminakata-no-Kami’s wrist than he crushed it in his grip as though handling a freshly sprouted reed. Tearing off the severed hand, he hurled it away with a forceful toss. Takeminakata-no-Kami turned deathly pale and fled with all his might. Takemikazuchi-no-Kami, “Hey, stop!” he shouted while pursuing him relentlessly onward and onward. And finally, having cornered him near Lake Suwa in Shinano, when he suddenly tried to twist and kill him with a single wrench, Takeminakata-no-Kami trembled violently,

“I have truly been overcome with fear,” “Please, I beg you to spare my life at least.” “Here and now, I swear I shall not set a single foot beyond this Shinano.” “In accordance with what my father and elder brother have stated, I hereby offer this Central Land of Reed Plains to the divine child of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens,” he apologized humbly.

Then, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami returned once more to Izumo and interrogated Ōkuninushi-no-Kami. “Both your sons have declared they will not defy the Great Deity’s command,” he said, his voice cutting through the air like his namesake thunder. “Now you—surely you’ve nothing left to say?” As he spoke, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami—

“I have no objections whatsoever. This Central Land of Reed Plains shall be offered entirely to the Great Deity’s divine child, exactly as commanded. In addition to this, my sole request is that you deign to construct for me a shrine—a magnificent and sturdy hall akin to the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens’ divine palace. If you grant this request, I shall serve the descendants of the Great Deity faithfully from a distant realm for all eternity. In truth, I have many other children besides this one. However, so long as Kotoshironushi-no-Kami serves with reverent devotion, none of my remaining offspring will voice any dissent.”

Having said this, he resolutely met his end there on the spot.

Therefore, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami promptly built a splendid large shrine at Tageshi Beach in the Land of Izumo and enshrined [Ōkuninushi] exactly as desired. And he appointed the deity Kushihadama-no-Kami as a culinary priest to prepare offerings and assigned him to serve.

Then, Kushihadama-no-Kami hunched over, brought soil from the seafloor in his mouth, and with it fashioned various earthenware vessels for presenting offerings. Then, using the stem of a certain seaweed, he fashioned implements called a fire-drill mortar and fire-drill pestle, rubbed them together to produce fire, and addressed Takemikazuchi-no-Kami with these words: “With this fire I have kindled, I shall unfailingly light fires until the surrounding area becomes filled with soot like the kitchen of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens’ palace, ceaselessly burn flames until the base of the hearth becomes as solid as the bedrock at the earth’s depths, abundantly cook the great sea bass that the fishermen bring, and always—always—offer splendid feasts worthy of the Great Deity’s partaking,” he said.

With that, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami felt reassured for the time being and ascended back to the heavens. And then, he thoroughly reported all of this matter in detail to Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami.

Kasasa Palace

One

Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami, since Takemikazuchi-no-Kami and his group had properly brought the lower world—which had been in such turmoil—under their control, promptly summoned Ame-no-Oshihomimi-no-Mikoto and declared: “The Central Land of Reed Plains has now been completely pacified. You must immediately descend and govern that land exactly as initially commanded.”

The August Lord obeyed the divine command and immediately began preparing for departure. At that very moment, Her Highness Princess Consort Akitsushihime-no-Mikoto gave birth to a son.

Ame-no-Oshihomimi-no-Mikoto presented himself before the Great Deities.

“An heir was born to us two.” “We have named him Ninigi-no-Mikoto.” “To send down to the Central Land, I humbly believe this child would be most suitable,” he declared.

Therefore, when the august grandchild Ninigi-no-Mikoto had grown to adulthood, the Great Deities summoned him once more to their presence,

“The Central Land of Reed Plains visible in the lower world shall be the country you govern,” they declared. Mikoto bowed respectfully,

“In that case, I shall now descend immediately,” declared Mikoto, and hurriedly made the necessary preparations.

And before long, just as he was about to depart, a solitary deity stood blocking the four-way crossroads along the celestial thoroughfare, radiating a dazzling light that blazed upward to illuminate Takamagahara itself and shone down in full splendor upon Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni below.

Amaterasu-Ōmikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami saw this and hurriedly summoned Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto,

“Though you are a woman, you remain a deity who does not falter before even the most unruly gods. This is why we choose you above all others.” “Go to that deity obstructing the path—deliver these words and return.” “Thoroughly interrogate him: ‘Who are you, blocking the way as the child of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens prepares to descend?’” they commanded.

Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto promptly rushed over and sternly reproached him. Then, the deity lowered his voice and,

“I am a deity of the lower world who humbly bears the name Sarutahiko-no-Kami. The reason I have come here now is that I heard the divine child of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens will soon descend. Though my abilities are meager, I humbly wish to offer guidance along the path, and thus have come to welcome them,” he replied.

The Great Deities heard this and were reassured. Then they appointed five deities—Ame-no-Koyane-no-Mikoto, Futodama-no-Mikoto, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, Ishikoridome-no-Mikoto, and Tama-no-Oya-no-Mikoto—as the leaders of the august grandchild Ninigi-no-Mikoto’s retinue. And at the final moment of parting, they personally bestowed upon the august grandchild three sacred treasures: the truly splendid jewel known as Yasakani no Magatama adorning a magnificent necklace, the divine mirror called Yata no Kagami, and the sharp sword Susanoo-no-Mikoto had long ago retrieved from the great serpent’s tail—these three precious possessions of their own.

“Consider this mirror as my very soul,” she declared, “and revere it with utmost care, just as you have served me thus far.” Then they added to his retinue Omoikane-no-Kami—the wisest among the heavenly deities—and Tajikarao-no-Kami—the mightiest in strength—before commanding: “Omoikane-no-Kami, you shall take charge of venerating that mirror and perform its rites with utmost diligence.” Ninigi-no-Mikoto led these deities along with a multitude of attendant gods as he finally departed his heavenly abode. He steadily parted the towering peaks of deep clouds that stretched endlessly in layered expanses, advanced with august dignity across the Heavenly Floating Bridge, and majestically descended toward the lower world. At the forefront marched two mighty specially chosen deities—Ame-no-Oshihomimi-no-Mikoto and Amatsu-Kume-no-Mikoto—bearing a great sword at their side while shouldering a massive bow and formidable arrows as they valiantly cleared the path ahead.

At last, the august company arrived upon the perilous summit of Kushifure Peak on Mount Takachiho in the Land of Hyūga. Then they proceeded further to a peak called Mount Karakuni, gradually descended from there to level ground, searched intently for a place to establish their dwelling, and made their way toward the sea. Before long, they arrived augustly at Cape Kasasa in Hyūga as well.

Ninigi-no-Mikoto declared, “Here, where the morning sun shines directly upon us and the evening sun illuminates all—this is truly a refreshing and splendid place,” thoroughly pleased. Therefore, he finally resolved to settle there as his ultimate dwelling place. And promptly, upon firm ground, he erected a large, spacious grand palace.

Ninigi-no-Mikoto then summoned the aforementioned Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, "You have been acquainted with Sarutahiko-no-Kami—the one who guided us—from the very beginning." "Therefore, you shall accompany and escort that god back to where he must return." "Furthermore, as a token to commemorate that god’s service, you shall inherit the name Sarutahiko and serve me as if you and that god were one," he declared. Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto humbly complied and escorted Sarutahiko-no-Kami back.

Sarutahiko-no-Kami had thereafter been living in a place called Aza in Ise, but one day when he went out fishing, his hand became trapped in a large shellfish known as a hirafugai, and he was ultimately dragged into the sea and drowned and perished.

After Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto delivered the god and returned, she went to the seaside of Kasasa and completely rounded up fish of all sizes—large and small— “Will you all offer your service to the divine child of the Great Deity of the Vast Heavens?” she asked. At this, every single fish without exception—

“Yes, yes! We shall properly serve!” they replied in unison—yet among them, the sea cucumber alone remained silent, offering no answer.

Then Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto became enraged and,

“Ah! So this is the mouth that refuses to answer?” she snapped, swiftly drawing a dagger from her robe and slitting the sea cucumber’s mouth in one fierce slash. That is why the sea cucumber’s mouth remains split to this day.

Two

In time, Ninigi-no-Mikoto one day encountered a beautiful young woman at the same cape. “Whose daughter are you?” he inquired, to which the woman replied,

“I am called Konohanasakuya-hime, daughter of Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami,” she replied.

“Do you have any siblings?” he then asked further.

“I have one elder sister named Iwanaga-hime,” she replied.

Mikoto then inquired,

“I wish to take you as my bride. Will you come?” he asked.

Then Konohanasakuya-hime replied,

"That is something I cannot properly answer on my own. “Please inquire with my father, Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami,” she replied respectfully. Ninigi-no-Mikoto promptly dispatched an envoy and formally requested Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami for Sakuya-hime’s hand in marriage. Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami was overjoyed and immediately attached her elder sister Iwanaga-hime as an attendant to Sakuya-hime, having her take a great many congratulatory items to present."

Ninigi-no-Mikoto was overjoyed and immediately solemnized his wedding with Konohanasakuya-hime. However, her elder sister Iwanaga-hime was a woman of truly dreadful countenance—unsightly in appearance—and thus he found it disagreeable for her to dwell together in the same grand palace. Therefore, he promptly sent her back to her father, the deity.

Ōyamatsumi, deeply ashamed, sent a messenger to convey the following.

“The reason I deliberately attached Iwanaga-hime as an attendant to Konohanasakuya-hime was this: not only would you, by taking Sakuya-hime as your bride, flourish eternally like flowers blooming in full splendor—as her name signifies—but had you kept Iwanaga-hime within the same palace, then just as her name implies an unyielding rock that remains steadfast even when battered by rain and wind, I prayed your august body too would endure unchanged for all time. This is why I arranged for her accompaniment.” “Yet having taken only Sakuya-hime as your bride and sent Iwanaga-hime back, you yourself—and the lifespans of your divine descendants through successive generations—shall prove no more enduring than blossoms that scatter all too soon after blooming. They shall assuredly never endure,” he thus conveyed.

Before long, Konohanasakuya-hime was soon to give birth to her child.

When she informed His Augustness of this matter, he deemed it strange that the child was coming so swiftly,

“Is this truly our child?” he inquired. Konohanasakuya-hime, being addressed thus,

“How could this child belong to anyone other than the two of us? If this child were not ours, the birth could never proceed safely. As proof that this is truly our child, no matter how I give birth, it will assuredly be born safely without fail.”

Having said this, she deliberately built a house with no entrance or exit, entered it, and meticulously sealed every single crevice with earth. And just as she was about to give birth, she set fire to the house.

However, even with such a violent method of childbirth, the children were safely born—all three of them. Konohanasakuya-hime bestowed the name Hoderi-no-Mikoto upon the child who was born first when flames raged throughout the house. Then, one after another, two august children were born: Hosuseri-no-Mikoto and Hoori-no-Mikoto. Hoori-no-Mikoto was also called Hiko-Hohodemi-no-Mikoto.

Jewels of High Tide and Low Tide

One

The three august siblings soon grew into stalwart young adults. Among them, the elder brother Hoderi-no-Mikoto was exceptionally skilled at fishing in the sea, and he would always return having caught a great many fish of all kinds—large and small. As for the youngest brother, Hoori-no-Mikoto, he was exceptionally skilled at hunting in the mountains, and would always return having captured a great many birds and beasts of all kinds.

One day, the younger brother, His Augustness, addressed his elder brother, Your Augustness: “Why don’t we try exchanging our tools just once, swap our roles, and attempt each other’s pursuits?” he proposed.

Even though the younger brother made such a request three times, the elder brother refused to comply each time, saying he would not hear of it. However, as the younger brother pressed his case so insistently, the elder brother finally relented—albeit reluctantly—and agreed to exchange their tools. The younger brother promptly took the fishing tools and departed for the seashore. However, as fishing proved entirely unfamiliar to him, no matter how he hurried, not only could he not catch a single fish, but in the end, he even lost the fishing hook into the sea.

Hoderi-no-Mikoto, being unaccustomed to mountain hunting, found no prey whatsoever. Disheartened, he turned to his younger brother and... “Return my fishing tools—both sea and mountain hunting must be done with what we’re each accustomed to.” “Here—I’ll return these bow and arrows,” he declared. The younger brother,

“I have committed a grave blunder.” “In the end, without catching a single fish, I ended up dropping the hook into the sea,” he said. Then the elder brother became exceedingly angry and demanded, “You must find that hook by any means necessary!” The younger brother, left with no choice, smashed the long sword he carried at his side, fashioned five hundred fishing hooks from it, and presented them as substitutes.

However, the elder brother declared that he would accept nothing but the original hook and absolutely refused to listen. Thereupon, the younger brother fashioned another thousand hooks and pleaded, “I beg you to accept these in forgiveness,” but the elder brother adamantly declared, “I will accept nothing but the original hook—no matter what.”

Therefore, the younger brother, finding himself at a loss, stood alone by the seashore and wept bitterly.

Then, the god known as Shiotsuchi-no-Kami appeared before him. “Excuse me, why are you weeping so bitterly?” the god inquired. The younger brother,

“I borrowed my elder brother’s fishing hook to fish and ended up losing that hook in the sea. So I crafted many substitute hooks and returned them, but my elder brother insists that I must return the original hook and refuses to listen.”

Having said this, he explained the circumstances.

Shiotsuchi-no-Kami, upon hearing this, felt profound compassion, “Then I shall see to this matter properly,” he declared while hastily crafting a tightly woven basket-like boat—ensuring no water could seep through—and helped His Augustness Hoori-no-Mikoto board it. “I shall push you off now. Continue straight ahead into the open sea. After journeying awhile, a clear path will emerge between the waves ahead. Follow this course wherever it leads until you reach an immense palace with countless roofs layered like fish scales. This is the august abode of Watatsumi-no-Kami, deity of the seas. Beside the palace gate stands a well. A katsura tree arches over it—climb onto its branches and wait there. The sea god’s daughter will discover you and make proper arrangements,” he explained, thrusting the vessel forth with all his might.

Two

His Augustness drifted steadily seaward. And just as Shiotsuchi-no-Kami had foretold, after a time he arrived at an immense palace whose countless roofs stood arrayed like fish scales. His Augustness promptly climbed the katsura tree near the gate and waited there. Thereupon, soon after, an attendant of Toyotama-hime—daughter of Watatsumi-no-Kami—came bearing a jeweled vessel to draw water from the well beneath the katsura tree.

When the woman peered into the well and saw a human figure reflected within, she thought it strange. Looking up, she found a handsome man sitting in the katsura tree. His Augustness said to the woman, "Please give me water." The woman hurriedly drew water into the jeweled vessel and offered it to him. Yet His Augustness did not drink the water. Instead, he unfastened the ornamental jewel he wore around his neck, placed it in his mouth, spat it into the jeweled vessel, and handed it to the woman. The woman received the vessel and tried to take out the jewel, but it had stuck firmly to the bottom of the vessel and would not come off no matter what she did. And so, she carried it just as it was into the house and presented the entire vessel to Toyotama-hime.

Toyotama-hime, upon seeing the jewel,

“Is someone present at the gate?” she inquired.

The woman said,

“On the katsura tree by the well there is a handsome man present—one who far surpasses even our king in nobility and dignity. When that noble lord commanded ‘Give me water,’ I drew it into this vessel at once and offered it to him. Yet he did not drink, but spat the jewel from his necklace into it instead. Now see how it clings stubbornly to the vessel’s bottom,” she said.

When Toyotama-hime saw His Augustness's form, she immediately went to her father, the sea god, and

“There is a noble person at the gateway,” she said.

The Sea God made a point of coming out himself to see,

"Oh my, that noble one is the august child of a deity who descended from the heavens," he declared while hastily ushering him into the palace. He then laid out eight layers of sea lion pelts, upon which he placed another eight layers of silk mats, seated him upon them, arranged a lavish spread of various delicacies, and extended the most courteous hospitality imaginable. And then he gave Toyotama-hime to him as his bride.

Thus His Augustness resided there together with the Princess. Before they knew it, three years had passed. Then one evening, His Augustness abruptly recalled that fishhook and let out a deep sigh.

The next morning, Toyotama-hime quietly went to her father, the Sea God’s side, “Father, His Augustness has resided in this palace for three years without ever once showing a troubled countenance, yet last night alone he heaved a deep sigh.” “Has something suddenly begun to worry him?” she said.

When the Sea God heard this, he later addressed His Augustness, "My daughter has just informed me that though you have dwelled in such a place as this for three years, never once have you shown distress—yet last night alone, you heaved a sigh." "Is there some reason for this?" "What could have brought you to the depths of the sea in the first place?" Having said this, he humbly inquired.

His Augustness explained all that had happened and how he had come to search for his fishhook. Upon hearing this, the Sea God promptly summoned every fish in the sea—great and small, not a single one left behind. “Has any among you taken His Augustness’s fishhook?” he demanded. The fish replied, “Of late, a female sea bream has suffered with something like a thorn lodged in her throat, leaving her unable to eat. Surely this must be the very fishhook of which you speak.”

The Sea God promptly summoned that sea bream and examined its throat. Sure enough, it had swallowed a large fishhook. The Sea God took it out, cleaned it thoroughly, and presented it to His Augustness. Then, it was indeed that very fishhook His Augustness had lost. The Sea God said, “Now then, when you return and present this to your elder brother, ‘Disgusting fishhook. Wicked fishhook. Foolish fishhook.’

“While saying this, be sure to turn your back and hand it over. Then, from now on, when your elder brother creates his rice fields in high places, you must create yours in low places. Conversely, if your elder brother creates his fields in low places, you must create yours in high places. I control the flow of every drop of water in this world as I please. Since your elder brother tormented you so cruelly over the fishhook, from now on I shall not give a single drop of water to his fields, but instead pour abundance into yours alone. Therefore, your elder brother will certainly fall into poverty within three years. Then, without fail, he will surely come to kill you out of envy. At that time, take out this tide-flowing jewel and have him drown. From this, water will gush forth in abundance. However, if your elder brother begs for help and offers apologies, you should present this ebb-tide jewel here and have the water recede for him. In any case, by doing so, you should give him a bit of a lesson.”

Having said this, he presented those two precious jewels to His Augustness. Then he summoned all his crocodile retainers, “Now that the august child of the deity of the heavens is to return to the land world, how many days would you require to escort His Augustness and return?” he inquired.

The crocodile retainers, each assessing their own body sizes, gave their respective replies. Among them, a large crocodile measuring roughly six feet,

“I shall go and return within a single day,” he said.

The Sea God,

“Then you shall escort him.” “However, when crossing the sea, you must never let him feel fear,” he thoroughly instructed, then had His Augustness mount upon its neck and sent them off on their long journey. Then, as pledged, the crocodile escorted His Augustness back to the original shore within a single day. His Augustness untied the small sword he had been carrying and, as a reward, tied it around the crocodile’s neck before sending it back.

His Augustness then immediately went to his elder brother’s place and, just as the Sea God had instructed, “Disgusting fishhook— “Wicked fishhook,

“Foolish fishhook.”

Repeating these words, he returned the fishhook while turning his back. Then, when creating rice fields as well, he did exactly as the Sea God had instructed. And so, while His Augustness’s rice fields yielded ever more bountiful harvests year after year, not a single drop of water reached his elder brother’s fields. Thus, within three years, his elder brother fell utterly into destitution. Then his elder brother, truly envious of His Augustness, came time and again to kill him. His Augustness promptly took out the tide-flowing jewel and caused a great flood to well up to defend himself. Each time, his elder brother was about to drown and pleaded, “Help me! Help me!” His Augustness then took out the ebb-tide jewel and immediately caused the water to recede. In such circumstances, the elder brother also, finally coming to realize he could not possibly match His Augustness, the younger brother, at last bowed his head and—

“Please forgive me for all that has happened. I will now stand guard day and night at your residence and serve you for the rest of my life,” he solemnly swore. Therefore, for generations to come, it became a family custom for the descendants of His Augustness the Elder Brother to perform various peculiar dances imitating the gestures he made when he was nearly drowning and suffering in the water.

Three

Before long, Toyotama-hime—the bride whom His Augustness Hoori had left behind at the sea palace—suddenly emerged from the depths one day. "I have long carried this child within me," she declared, "and now my time to give birth has come." "But I deemed it unseemly to bear the offspring of a heavenly deity beneath the waves," she continued solemnly, "and thus have journeyed all this way to shore."

Therefore, His Augustness hurriedly had a birthing hut constructed by the seaside. For the roof, instead of thatch, he had cormorant feathers gathered and used for thatching. Yet before the roof could be completed, Toyotama-hime had already gone into labor and hurriedly entered the hut.

At that moment, the princess turned to His Augustness and, “When all people give birth, each has their own country’s customs, and they each deliver their children in strange forms.” “Therefore, I earnestly beg of you: please do not look upon the place where I give birth,” she implored with solemn resolve. Because Her Ladyship had gone out of her way to say such things, His Augustness found it all the more strange, and later went quietly to peek and look.

Then, Toyotama-hime—who until mere moments ago had been a beautiful woman—had transformed into a terrifying great sea serpent measuring eight fathoms in length, groaning deeply as she writhed in her final throes. His Augustness, startled, fled in a panic. Toyotama-hime became aware of this, and because she was unbearably ashamed, after giving birth to their child, she turned to His Augustness and— "I had intended to constantly come and go between the sea to pay my respects to you from now on, but since you have seen me in such a state, I am truly ashamed and can no longer come before you." Having said this, she left their child behind, completely blocked the sea passage, and hurried back down to the depths of the sea. And thus, for the rest of her life, she never emerged again.

The child born to them came into this world before the cormorant-feather roof could be thatched, and thus they named him Ugayafukiaezu-no-Mikoto (His Augustness Cormorant-Feather-Thatching-Incomplete). Though Her Ladyship remained in her sea palace, she could not cease worrying about the child. Thus she sent her younger sister Tamayori-hime here to have him raised by her hands. Her Ladyship could never cease resenting that His Augustness had glimpsed her dreadful form, yet even so remained ever yearning and devoted to him, unable to forget him for even a moment. Therefore entrusting [it] through Tamayori-hime,

The crimson jewel— Though even its cord glows, The white jewel— When worn by you, Shines with nobility.

Toyotama-hime sent this poem. This was,

This meant: "Though crimson jewels are splendid indeed—so radiant that even their cords shine when threaded and adorned—I constantly yearn for your noble form, fairer still than those jewels, like a flawless white gem."

His Augustness was deeply moved and returned a compassionate song imbued with the meaning: "I too shall never forget you."

His Augustness finally resided at the palace called Takachiho-no-Miya until he reached the age of five hundred and eighty.

Yatagarasu (the Eight-Span Crow)

I After coming of age, His Augustness Ugayafukiaezu formally established Tamayori-hime as his royal consort and fathered four male children. Of these four siblings, the second, His Augustness Inaori, crossed the sea to journey faraway to the distant land known as Tokoyo-no-Kuni. Next, the third son, His Augustness Wakamikenunu, departed for his mother's homeland of the sea country, while the youngest brother, His Augustness Kamuyamato Iwarehiko, remained at Takachiho-no-Miya and governed the realm. However, as Hyūga was an exceedingly remote region and terribly inconvenient for administering governance, His Augustness consulted with his eldest brother Itsuse-no-Mikoto, and the two of them—

“It would be better to relocate further east,” he declared, then gathered all his forces and set out first toward Chikuzen Province. On the way there, when His Augustness arrived at Usa in Buzen Province, two individuals of that land named Utsuhiko and Utsuhime constructed a palace to welcome him and cordially entertained him. His Augustness entered Chikuzen Province from there. After residing at the palace called Okada-no-Miya for one year, he then journeyed to Aki Province, where he stayed at Takari-no-Miya for seven years, proceeded to Bizen, and dwelled at Takashima-no-Miya for eight years. From there, they lined up their ships and proceeded eastward over the waves.

When His Augustness arrived at a place called Hayasuhi-no-To, a man came forth from the opposite direction—riding on a turtle’s back while fishing—and upon seeing His Augustness’s ship, he raised both hands and began frantically waving his hands. His Augustness summoned that person and,

“Who are you?” he inquired. “I am the deity of this land, humbly called Utsuhiko,” he replied.

“Do you know the sea routes around here?” he inquired. “I am well acquainted with them,” he humbly replied. “Then will you join my retinue?” His Augustness said.

“As you command,” he replied. “I humbly offer my service.” Thereupon, His Augustness immediately ordered those nearby to extend a pole and had him brought aboard the ship.

They all set their course ever eastward from there, navigated through the Naniwa Sea of Settsu, and eventually arrived at Aokumo no Shirakata Harbor in Kawachi Province.

There at Yamato’s Tomi lay Nagasunehiko, poised with his forces in wait. His Augustness was about to disembark from the ship when they suddenly unleashed a barrage of arrows. So, retrieving shields from within the vessel, he made his landing while weaving through the whizzing projectiles. And immediately, they vigorously engaged in battle. In the midst of this, Itsuse-no-Mikoto sustained a grave injury from Nagasunehiko’s sharp arrow. His Augustness was clutching that wound while,

"We are descendants of the Sun Goddess, yet it was a mistake to attack toward the sun." "That’s why we were struck by their arrows." "From now on, we shall take a detour eastward and fight with the sun at our backs," he declared. Gathering everyone together, he boarded the ships once more alongside his younger brother, His Augustness, and with great haste made for the open sea.

During this journey, His Augustness washed the blood from the wound on his hand.

However，when His Augustness detoured south from there and arrived at Otoko-no-Minato in Kii Province，the pain from his wound grew increasingly severe. His Augustness，

“Ah, how vexing. Am I to perish from this hand wound inflicted by them?” His Augustness cried out in a voice full of regret, and finally passed away just like that.

II

His Augustness Kamuyamato Iwarehiko made a detour around there and arrived at a village called Kumano in the same Kii Province. Suddenly, a giant bear appeared and vanished again in the blink of an eye. However, both His Augustness and his entire retinue were struck by the giant bear’s poisonous miasma. In an instant, their vision spun dizzily, and every last one of them collapsed unconscious on the spot. Then, a man named Takakuraji of Kumano emerged holding a long sword and presented it to His Augustness Iwarehiko, who lay prostrate. His Augustness, along with that, suddenly regained his senses and,

“My, I’ve slept quite a long while,” His Augustness remarked as he received the long sword offered by Takakuraji. Through the divine authority imbued within that blade, the savage mountain deities of Kumano—who had sent forth the bear earlier—collapsed one after another of their own accord, thudding lifelessly to the ground. At the same time, His Augustness’s forces, all at once awakening from the surrounding poison, rose up vigorously with renewed vitality.

His Augustness, filled with wonder, addressed Takakuraji and inquired about the origin of this noble sword.

Takakuraji reverently,

“The fact is, last night I suddenly had a dream. “In that dream, Her Augustness Amaterasu and His Augustness Takamimusubi summoned His Augustness Takemikazuchi, for Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni is now in great turmoil. Our descendants are attempting to subdue it, yet they are being tormented by evil gods. ‘Since that land was first subdued by you, descend once more and pacify it,’ they declared. To this, Takemikazuchi replied: ‘If that is the case, though I need not go myself, here lies the long sword I wielded when I subdued that realm before. I shall bestow this sword.’ To this, he answered: ‘Then I shall pierce through the ridge of Takakuraji’s storehouse and drop it there.’”

“Then Takemikazuchi-no-Kami instructed me: ‘I will pierce through the ridge of your storehouse and drop this sword, so first thing tomorrow morning, present it to the descendant of the Heavenly Deity.’ When I awoke and went to check the storehouse, there lay that very long sword exactly as commanded. Therefore, I hastened to present it.”

Having said this, he humbly explained the circumstances.

In time, Takamimusubi-no-Kami addressed Iwarehiko-no-Mikoto from above the clouds: “Child of the Heavenly Deity, you must never advance beyond this point. A horde of savage deities dwells beyond here. I shall now send down the Yatagarasu—follow where that crow flies,” he solemnly instructed. Before long, exactly as decreed, the crow descended. His Augustness trailed behind the guiding crow until they reached the estuary of Yoshino River in Yamato. There they found someone setting fish traps in the waters.

“Who are you?” he inquired.

“I am the god of this land, and my name is Niekishi-no-Ko,” he humbly replied.

Then, when His Augustness proceeded further, a human with a tail protruding from their backside emerged from a well this time. The well then shone brilliantly. "Who are you?" His Augustness inquired. "I am the god of this land, called Ihikaku," came the reverent reply. His Augustness took each of these beings into his retinue. As he made his way through the mountains from there, he encountered another person bearing a tail. This one had pushed aside a rock to emerge.

“Who are you?” His Augustness inquired. “I am a deity of this land, my name being Iwaoshihiki-no-Ko. Having just now learned of the Heavenly Deity’s august descendant’s arrival, I have come to humbly request inclusion in your retinue,” he reverently declared. From there, His Augustness forged through ever more perilous and rugged mountains and arrived at a place called Uda in Yamato.

In this Uda, there were two rough brothers named Ukeshi and Otoukeshi. His Augustness dispatched the Yatagarasu as a messenger to those two,

“The descendant of the Heavenly Deity has now arrived. Will you pledge your service?” he inquired. Then Ukeshi the elder brother suddenly loosed a whistling arrow and drove off the messenger crow. Ukeshi—resolved to ambush His Augustness upon arrival—had rushed to muster troops, but finding his numbers insufficient, he instead devised a treacherous welcome. Feigning allegiance through declarations of service, he erected a grand palace to receive His Augustness. Within it, he prepared a suspended ceiling trap and lay in wait.

Then, the younger brother Otoukeshi secretly came to His Augustness's side and, while bowing down reverently,

“My elder brother Ukeshi plotted to attack and destroy Your Majesty. He began gathering troops, but as they did not assemble as he had hoped, he has now constructed a suspended ceiling trap within his palace and lies in wait.” “Therefore, I hastened to come and inform you of this,” he reported. Thereupon, the two commanders—Michiomi-no-Mikoto and Ōkume-no-Mikoto—summoned Ukeshi and, “Now then, Ukeshi! Since it’s your own damned palace you built, you go in first! Show us how you plan to entertain His Augustness here!” they roared, seizing their swords’ hilts and nocking arrows as they forcibly drove him into that palace. Ukeshi, driven into a frantic retreat, stumbled into his own trap—the suspended ceiling he’d rigged crashed down with a thunderous boom, crushing him instantly.

The two commanders pulled out the corpse, hacked it to pieces, and discarded it.

His Augustness distributed the feast that Otoukeshi had presented to all his retainers and held a grand celebratory banquet. His Augustness, at that time,

“When he set a snipe trap at Uda Castle and waited, no snipe were caught—instead, a great whale was snared, and the trap lay shattered to pieces.” Conveying the meaning of “Ha ha ha, how absurd!” His Augustness composed this into song and laughed heartily at the ruin of Ukeshi’s scheme.

Then having departed from Uda and arrived at a place called Oshizaka, there lay in wait within a great rock cavern a horde of savage, tailed villains known as Yasotakeru—hole-dwelling brutes—who sought to crush His Augustness's army. His Augustness prepared a feast and summoned those villains. Having arranged beforehand to assign one attendant to each opponent, he had each conceal a long sword and instructed them to strike all at once when they heard the signal song.

Everyone—His Augustness— “Now, strike!” he sang out, and at once they all drew their long swords and cut down every last one of the Takeru forces.

However, for His Augustness, far more hateful than those bandits was Nagasunehiko of Tomimi, who had taken the life of His Augustness’s elder brother. His Augustness could not forget his resentment toward them—lingering like the fiery sting in one’s mouth after eating ginger. He yearned to eradicate them root and stem, as one tears garlic chives from the soil; to encircle them densely, like barnacles clinging black and thick to a great sea stone, leaving none alive. This resolve he poured into a valorous song. And finally, His Augustness utterly destroyed them.

At that time, on Nagasunehiko’s side, there was also a god of the Heavenly Deity’s divine bloodline named Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto.

That deity proceeded to approach His Augustness, “Having received word that the divine offspring of the Heavenly Deity has arrived, I have come forth to offer my service,” he reverently declared. And he presented to His Augustness a treasure symbolizing proof of lineage from the Heavenly Deity. His Augustness then subjugated the siblings Ani-shiki and Oto-shiki. In that battle, His Augustness’s forces arrayed their shields and fought within the forest of Mount Inasa, but midway through their provisions ran out, and they began to weaken. His Augustness was then,

"Oh, I too am exhausted from hunger." His Augustness composed a song conveying: "You who use 'u' in this land! Bring food swiftly and come to our aid!"

His Augustness pressed onward unrelentingly, subduing and bringing to heel the myriad other rampaging deities, steadily crushing all who dared oppose him, until at last he brought peace to the land. Thus, at long last in Yamato’s Kashihara Palace, he ascended to the position of our very first Emperor. Emperor Jimmu is none other than this noble Iwarehiko-no-Mikoto of whom we speak.

Three

The Emperor, during his initial residence in Hyūga, had taken Ahiratsuhime as his consort and fathered two sons—Tagishimimi-no-Mikoto and another male child—but upon ascending to the throne, he sought anew a beautiful woman to establish as his empress.

Thereupon, Ōkume-no-Mikoto,

“For that purpose, there is indeed a beautiful lady called Isukeyorihime, who shares the divine blood of the Heavenly Deity. This concerns Ōmononushi-no-Kami of Miwa Shrine, who transformed into a vermilion-lacquered arrow and approached Seyadatara-hime. When the princess took that arrow into her chamber, it instantly reverted to its original form—a magnificent male deity—and became her husband. Isukeyorihime is the princess born of those two,” he declared.

Thereupon, the Emperor had Ōkume-no-Mikoto accompany him and proceeded to see Isukeyorihime. Thereupon, in that same Yamato province at a field called Takasajino, he encountered seven young women enjoying an outing. Thereupon, Isukeyorihime was indeed present among those seven. When Ōkume-no-Mikoto discovered this and sang in verse to humbly inquire which of these ladies His Majesty would take, the Emperor at once discerned that the foremost figure was Isukeyorihime,

“I shall take the one standing foremost,” he responded likewise in verse. When Ōkume-no-Mikoto approached her to convey His Augustness’s command, the princess, finding it strange that Ōkume-no-Mikoto had come with his large eyes glaring fiercely,

Ame bird, Tsutsu bird, Chidori bird，Mashitoto bird， How do such piercing eyes rend?

she composed a song. That was: “It meant: ‘Like the eyes of the ame bird, the tsutsu bird, the mashitoto bird, and the plover—why do you shine such large, sharp eyes?’” Ōkume-no-Mikoto immediately sang, “It was these eyes that sought and searched to find you.”

The princess’s house stood by a river called the Sai River. At its banks, mountain lilies bloomed in profusion. The Emperor visited the princess’s house, stayed one night, then departed. The princess soon entered the palace and assumed her position as noble Empress. From their union were born three sons: Hikoyai-no-Mikoto, Kamiyaimimi-no-Mikoto, and Kamanunakawamimi-no-Mikoto.

The Emperor later passed away at His August Age of 137. The august remains were laid to rest at Mount Unebi.

Thereupon, before long, Tagishimimi-no-Mikoto—who had been born earlier in Hyūga—killed his three half-brothers, Hikoyai-no-Mikoto and the others, and plotted to act as he pleased alone. Their mother, the Empress, saw through his scheme, "By Mount Unebi, daytime clouds hang still and calm as any ordinary clouds—yet come evening, storms arise and fierce winds begin to howl. The leaves rustle noisily like a harbinger of this," she composed in song, subtly making her sons aware that Tagishimimi-no-Mikoto would soon move to kill them.

The three children were astonished upon hearing this and held council: "Then let us strike first and kill His Augustness."

At that moment, Kamanunakawamimi-no-Mikoto, the youngest brother, turned to Kamiyaimimi-no-Mikoto, the middle brother, and declared: “Then you must press into His Augustness’s dwelling and slay him.” And so Kamiyaimimi-no-Mikoto took up his sword and set out, but when the moment came, he began trembling violently and found himself utterly unable to strike. Thereupon his younger brother Kamanunakawamimi-no-Mikoto took up that sword and proceeded, killing His Augustness in a single stroke.

Kamiyaimimi-no-Mikoto later addressed his younger brother: “Though I could not slay that foe, you have done so splendidly.” “Therefore, though I am your elder brother, I cannot assume leadership over men.” “Please take the position of Emperor and govern the realm. I shall undertake the duty of venerating the gods and serve you,” he declared. Thereupon, his younger brother ascended to the throne over his two elder brothers, relocated to Yamato’s Katsuragi Palace, and governed the realm. That is to say, His Majesty Emperor Suizei, the second sovereign.

The Emperor was short-lived and passed away at His August Age of forty-five.

Red Shields, Black Shields

One.

After seven generations had passed since Emperor Suizei, Emperor Sujin ascended to the throne as the tenth sovereign.

The Emperor had twelve august children. Among them, Princess Toyosukiirihime became the first to serve at the shrine of Amaterasu-Ōmikami in Ise and preside over its rituals. Also, when Prince Wakahiko-no-Mikoto passed away, the custom called *hitogaki* began—where people were buried alive around the tomb to accompany him.

During the reign of this Emperor, a terrible epidemic ravaged the land, and nearly all the people stood on the brink of extinction.

The Emperor grieved deeply and, resolving to receive an oracle from the gods regarding how he should proceed, purified his august person and solemnly seated himself upon his august bed. Then, in that night’s dream, the Great Deity Ōmononushi of Miwa Shrine graciously appeared and declared: “This current epidemic is one I have caused to spread. If you wish to completely eradicate it, have Ōtataneko establish worship at my shrine.” His Majesty the Emperor immediately dispatched swift messengers in all directions to search for a person bearing that name, whereupon one envoy found and brought back that man from a place called Minu Village in Kawachi.

The Emperor promptly summoned him to his presence, “Whose child are you?” he inquired. Thereupon, Ōtataneko replied, “I am the child of Tatekatsuchi-no-Mikoto, who is of the august bloodline of Ōmononushi-no-Kami.” The reason for this was that as far back as five generations prior to Ōtataneko, there existed a remarkably beautiful person named Ikutamayorihime, daughter of one Suetsutsumimi-no-Mikoto.

This Yorihime once took a young man as her husband. That person, from his facial features to his graceful bearing, was a splendid and gallant man of such beautiful and noble stature that there was nothing in the world to compare. The princess was soon about to give birth to a child. However, from the very beginning, her husband would only stay by Yorihime’s side at night, but come dawn, he would vanish somewhere without a trace—never showing his face to anyone—and not even revealing who he was or where he came from to his bride Yorihime.

Yorihime’s father and mother, eager to determine who their son-in-law was and where he came from, one day addressed her: “Tonight, spread red clay in your room. Then prepare a ball of hemp thread by threading it through a needle, and when your husband arrives, quietly insert that needle into the hem of his robe,” they instructed. That night, the princess did exactly as told and pinned the hemp-threaded needle into the hem of her husband’s robe.

When they looked the next morning, the hemp thread attached to the needle had passed through the keyhole of the door to the outside. And the ball of thread had completely unraveled, leaving in the room only a length that could be wound around in three loops.

Thus, it became clear that the husband had been passing through the keyhole of the door. The princess followed the thread's path with urgency and found it had entered Miwa Shrine before coming to rest. Thus did she first understand her husband was Ōmononushi-no-Kami. Ōtataneko was the fourth-generation descendant born of these two.

The Emperor promptly appointed this Ōtataneko as priest of Miwa Shrine and had him conduct rituals for Ōmononushi-no-Kami. Alongside this, he had them produce a great quantity of earthenware vessels for offerings and conducted rituals for the heavenly deities and the many earthly deities. To certain deities among them, he specially presented red shields and black-lacquered shields. In addition, extending even to the mountain gods and the gods of the river rapids, he offered ritual offerings to each and every one without exception and conducted the ceremonies with solemn propriety. Because of this, the epidemic eventually ceased entirely, and the realm at last found peace.

Two Next, the Emperor dispatched Ōbiko-no-Mikoto to Hokurikudō, his son Takenunakawawake-no-Mikoto to Tōsandō, and other stalwart men to various regions, thereby subduing the multitudes of evildoers who defied his august commands. Ōbiko-no-Mikoto reverently departed to fulfill his charge, but when he came upon a place called Herasaka Slope in Yamashiro during his journey, there stood at the slope's crest a young girl clad only in a loincloth, "Hear me—Your Majesty—"

They plot to take Your Majesty's life— At the front gate, At the rear gate, Pacing back and forth, Lying in wait for their moment— Unaware that they linger there—

Hear me, Your Majesty—

And she sang such things.

Ōbiko-no-Mikoto, thinking this strange, deliberately turned his horse around and—

“What was that you just said?” he demanded.

Thereupon, the young girl,

“I have said nothing at all. I merely sang a song,” she replied—and then suddenly vanished without a trace. Ōbiko-no-Mikoto, unable to shake his unease over the song’s words, ultimately turned back and reported this to the Emperor. Thereupon, the Emperor declared: “That must undoubtedly be news of my half-brother Tatehaniyasuhiko in Yamashiro plotting evil deeds. You shall now lead the army and depart at once to subjugate them.” He dispatched them together with Hikokuniobuko-no-Mikoto.

The two conducted rituals for the gods, prayed for victory, and set out. And when they reached the Kizu River in Yamashiro, Prince Tatehaniyasuhiko—just as anticipated—had rebelled against the Emperor, gathered his forces, and lay in wait. Both armies took positions facing each other across the river. Hikokuniobuko-no-Mikoto turned toward the enemy, "Hey, you over there! Let’s see you loose the first arrow!" he bellowed. The enemy commander Tatehaniyasuhiko immediately responded by loosing a large arrow with a whoosh, but it struck no one and veered off course. Then, when Hikokuniobuko-no-Mikoto loosed an arrow from his side, it struck true and pierced Tatehaniyasuhiko through, killing him.

When the king had fallen, the enemy forces immediately collapsed into total disarray and fled in droves. Hikokuniobuko-no-Mikoto’s soldiers relentlessly pursued them, driving and cornering their foes at a river crossing in Kawachi Province.

Thereupon, some of the bandit soldiers, in their desperation, shit themselves and soiled the lower hems of their hakama.

Our forces blocked their escape routes and slaughtered them one after another without mercy. The numerous corpses floated in the river and drifted downstream like timber logs. Ōbiko-no-Mikoto reported every detail to the Emperor and departed anew for Hokurikudō. In time, Ōbiko-no-Mikoto and his son—alongside all others dispatched to various regions—subdued their assigned territories and returned victorious. Thus at last none remained who defied the Emperor; the realm knew tranquil governance, and the people prospered ever more. For the first time, the Emperor imposed tributes upon them: from men, a portion of their hunted game called "bow-end tribute," taken with bow and arrow; from women, a share of their spun and woven goods termed "hand-end tribute," wrought through textile labor.

The Emperor also constructed ponds for cultivation throughout the land for the people’s benefit. The Emperor’s lofty virtue was praised by later generations for all eternity.

Prince Oshi

One

Following Emperor Sujin, his child Emperor Suinin succeeded to the throne. The Emperor took Lady Sahohime—the younger sister of Prince Sahobiko—as his Empress and moved to the Tamagaki Palace in Yamato.

Prince Sahobiko once addressed the Empress, “Which do you cherish more—your husband or your brother?” he inquired. The Empress, “It would be my brother whom I cherish more,” she replied.

Thereupon, the Prince quietly handed the sharp dagger he had prepared to the Empress, “If you truly care for me, then please use this dagger to stab the Emperor to death where he lies. Then let us rule the realm together forever as husband and wife,” he declared, forcibly persuading the Empress.

Since His Majesty the Emperor remained unaware of their dreadful conspiracy, one evening he rested his head upon Her Majesty the Empress's lap and slept without suspicion. Her Majesty the Empress, deeming this the moment, suddenly drew the dagger and aimed it upward at His Majesty's throat from beneath his chin, brandishing it three times—yet when the decisive instant arrived, she was overcome with pity and found herself unable to strike. At last, unable to contain her anguish any longer, she broke into violent weeping.

The tears splashed onto His Majesty the Emperor’s face and streamed down. His Majesty the Emperor awoke abruptly at that very moment, “I just had a strange dream. From the direction of Saho Village, a sudden heavy rain came pouring down, drenching my face. Then, a small brocade-colored snake coiled around my neck. What sort of omen could this dream possibly signify?” he inquired of the Empress. When Her Majesty the Empress heard him say this, she started in alarm; realizing she could no longer conceal the matter, she fully confessed the dreadful conspiracy she and her elder brother had plotted.

When the Emperor heard this, he was startled,

“That was a close call—I nearly met a foolish end,” he declared, and immediately gathered his forces to dispatch them to subdue Sahobiko. Thereupon, on Sahobiko’s side, they piled rice straw bales in a ring, constructed a fortress with them, and lay in wait fully prepared. The Emperor’s army charged toward it and attacked. When that happened, the Empress once again grew deeply concerned for her brother and could no longer remain still. And so, she finally slipped out through the back gate in secret and hurried off to Sahobiko’s fortress.

At that very moment, Her Majesty the Empress was with child. His Majesty the Emperor, given this was Her Majesty the Empress—whom he had cherished for three years—and who now carried his heir, felt all the more compassion for her. Praying no harm would befall Her Majesty’s person, he thereafter issued a special command: the fortress was to be merely encircled at a distance and not rashly stormed.

Two Amidst all this, as the battle dragged on, Her Majesty the Empress gave birth to a prince within her brother’s fortress. Her Majesty the Empress had the prince brought outside the fortress and presented him to the Emperor’s army, Her Majesty had it conveyed to His Majesty that if he would deign to regard this child as his own, he should please take and raise him.

When the Emperor heard this, he resolved to somehow retrieve the Empress as well. This was because, though he harbored such fury toward her brother Sahobiko that not even mincing him would suffice, toward the Empress alone he cherished an endless depth of concern.

Therefore, from among his own soldiers, he selected several who were strongest in strength and swiftest in agility, “When you receive that prince, you must seize his mother the Empress and drag her back by force. Grab her by the hair or hand—whatever you can clutch—and haul her out here!” he commanded. However, Her Majesty the Empress had shrewdly foreseen that the Emperor would surely devise such a plot. In preparation for this moment, she had beforehand shaved off all her hair and covertly covered herself with the shorn locks as a makeshift wig. She then intentionally rotted the fastening cords of her wrist jewels and wound them thrice about her arms, donned robes deliberately weakened with sake, and—holding the prince as though he were inconsequential—emerged outside the fortress.

The waiting warriors, upon receiving the young prince, attempted to seize Her Majesty the Empress as well. As soon as they swiftly lunged forward and grabbed her hair, it slipped smoothly away and came off entirely. "Oh, drat!" they cried, grabbing her hand next—but the cord of her jeweled ornament snapped cleanly, letting her slip through their grasp effortlessly. They frantically pursued her again and seized her robes. Then those too tore away instantly. In that moment, the Empress darted back inside and escaped.

The warriors, having no other choice, carried the single prince and returned sullenly. The Emperor, hearing from those men, "When we grabbed her hair, it came away; the jewel cords and her robes all snapped cleanly—in the end, we let her slip through our grasp," they reported. Upon hearing this, he was utterly grief-stricken.

Because of this, the Emperor came to detest even the palace’s jewel-ornament craftsmen, and abruptly confiscated all the lands they had been granted as fiefs. Then, once again, he sent a messenger to Her Majesty the Empress,

“Though it is customary for a child’s name to be given by their mother, what name shall we give that prince?” His Majesty the Emperor inquired.

The Empress responded, “Since this prince was born amidst the flames while the fortress was being set ablaze and burning, it would be fitting to name him Prince Homuchiwake,” she said. The “Homuchi” in his name meant fire.

The Emperor then inquired, “That child has no mother—how should I raise him from now on?” “If Your Majesty would appoint wet nurses and increase the women who draw bathwater,” she replied, “entrusting him to their care would be most fitting.” The Emperor finally...

"If you are gone, who will care for me?" His Majesty asked. The Empress responded, "In that matter, there are sisters named Anahime and Otohime among the daughters of King Michinoushi of Tamba. "As these women are of unimpeachable lineage, I implore you to summon those two—Anahime and Otohime." Having ultimately no alternative, the Emperor stormed the fortress in one fell swoop and had Sahobiko put to death.

The Empress, along with him, threw herself into the raging flames and perished.

Three

Despite having no mother, Prince Homuchiwake nevertheless grew up happily and robustly. For this prince, His Majesty the Emperor specially had a large cedar tree—one that had split into two forks—cut down at a place called Aizu in Owari, then had it hollowed out as it was to craft a two-forked dugout canoe. And he had it transported all the way to Yamato, floated it upon a pond called Ichishi-no-Ike, boarded it together with him, and let the prince play within.

However, even when this prince later reached full adulthood and grew a long beard that hung down to his chest, he never once spoke a word. At one time, when he saw a water rail bird crying out as it flew through the sky—for the first time since his birth—

“Ah-wa! Ah-wa!” he uttered.

His Majesty the Emperor promptly commanded a man named Yamabe no Ōtaka,

“Bring me that bird,” His Majesty the Emperor commanded. Ōtaka humbly acknowledged the command and pursued the bird relentlessly descending through Kii Province and Harima Province. From there he raced through Inaba, Tanba, and Tajima before turning eastward, dashing through Ōmi, Mino, and Owari into Shinano, finally tracking it all the way to the vicinity of Echigo. At long last he set a trap net at a port called Wanami and finally managed to catch that water rail bird. Then he hurried back to the capital and humbly presented it to the Emperor.

The Emperor had thought that if he showed the bird to the prince, he might begin to speak, and thus specifically sent someone to capture it. However, the prince still did not utter a single word.

One can only imagine how deeply the Emperor’s heart was always distressed because of this.

Then, one night, he suddenly found himself in a dream,

"If you rebuild my shrine as splendidly as the Emperor's palace, the prince will surely speak," came this divine message that His Majesty heard. The Emperor, wondering which deity had issued this oracle, quickly ordered his diviners to conduct a divination. Through this, they determined it was an oracle from the Great Deity of Izumo, and that the prince had been born mute due to that deity's curse.

Therefore, the Emperor promptly decided to send the prince on a pilgrimage to Izumo. Wondering who should accompany him on this journey, he had another divination performed, and Prince Akefushi conducted the divination.

The Emperor gave orders to Prince Akefushi and, as an added precaution, had a divinatory prayer performed to verify [the oracle].

By the Emperor’s command, Prince Akefushi went to the Heron’s Nest Pond. When he prayed, “If worshiping the Great Deity of Izumo as instructed in that dream will bring a sign, let this pond’s herons die here as proof,” all the herons perched on the surrounding trees suddenly flapped down into the pond and perished. So this time, he offered a counter-prayer,

“May all those herons come back to life,” he prayed, and the once-dead herons instantly revived to their former state. Next, the large-leafed oak tree thriving on the hill called Furukashi no Oka also withered and revived again through Prince Akefushi’s prayers.

Therefore, it became increasingly certain that the matter of the dream was indeed entirely the oracle of the Great Deity of Izumo.

The Emperor immediately attached Prince Akefushi and Prince Ukae—the two of them—to Prince Homuchiwake and sent them to Izumo. Even at the time of their departure, he had a divination performed to determine which route to take. The divination revealed that taking the Nara Highway would mean encountering lame and blind people along the way; likewise, choosing the Osaka Route would also lead to meetings with blind people and those who crawled—both routes being inauspicious for departure—but that proceeding via the side road of the Kii Highway would assuredly bring favorable omens. The entire party set out accordingly.

In order to preserve the prince’s name for future generations, the Emperor had the Homuchibe tribe established at every point along their journey.

His Highness the Prince finally arrived in Izumo and paid homage at the shrine of the Great Deity. When he prepared to return to the capital, the Kuni no Miyatsuko—the highest-ranking official governing Izumo Province—constructed a temporary shrine in the Hino River, spanned a bridge woven from slender timbers leading to it, and hosted a grand feast for the prince within that shrine. Downstream at that time, an artificial mountain crafted from fresh foliage had been erected to delight the prince's eyes.

The prince beheld that,

“That fresh greenery downstream appearing like a mountain—surely that isn’t a real mountain.” “Could that be where the shrine priests conduct rituals for Ōkuninushi-no-Kami?” he suddenly inquired. Prince Akefushi, Prince Ukae, and their retinue were astonished yet overjoyed that His Highness had abruptly begun to speak. They immediately dispatched a swift messenger steed to inform the Emperor of this development. Thereafter, His Highness relocated to another palace and took as his consort a woman named Hina Nagahime.

However, when he later looked upon her, it became clear that she was a snake who had transformed into a woman and come forth. Prince Homuchiwake, startled, boarded a ship together with everyone and fled. Then, the Snake Princess, longing for the prince, hastily prepared another ship and came chasing after them, relentlessly illuminating the sea’s surface as she advanced. The prince grew increasingly unnerved, hastily had the ship hauled up, had it dragged over the mountains, then lowered it back down to cross the sea, and finally managed to flee safely back to the capital.

Prince Akefushi presented himself before the Emperor and,

“In accordance with your command, when His Highness worshiped the Great Deity, he suddenly became able to speak before long. Therefore, we all accompanied him back,” he reported.

The Emperor was delighted beyond all measure—so much so that words could not express it. And immediately, he once again dispatched Prince Ukae to Izumo and had the Great Deity’s shrine magnificently constructed.

Four Having been thus completely reassured，His Majesty the Emperor now sought to appoint attendants for his daily needs—which had often been lacking—by summoning from Tanba four siblings including Anihime，as the Empress had long ago advised him to do． However，as the two younger ones were exceedingly unattractive，the Emperor took only Anihime and her next sister Otohime into his service，and sent home the remaining two as they were．

Now, Enonohime, the youngest sister, lamented that while all four siblings had been summoned together and attended the summons, only the two of them had been sent home due to their unsightly faces making them unfit for service. She declared that the shame of this becoming known throughout neighboring villages was too great to bear living with. Upon returning as far as a place called Yamashiro no Otokuni along the way, pitifully, she threw herself into a deep ravine there and perished.

After that, in a certain year, the Emperor commanded Tajimamori to go to Tokoyo-no-Kuni and bring back fragrant tachibana fruits.

Tajimamori humbly accepted the command and, after striving earnestly through long years of hardship, finally reached that distant land beyond the boundless sea. And he plucked eight tachibana fruits with their branches and leaves still attached—and eight consisting of fruit alone—then after another long period, at last returned to the capital. However, the Emperor had already passed away long before his arrival. Upon learning this, Tajimamori was utterly crestfallen. He presented four fruits with leaves and four without to Anihime, who had served by the Emperor’s side, then offered the remaining four of each at the Emperor’s tomb. Weeping and wailing, he raised his voice loudly,

“Behold! I have brought the fruits exactly as Your Majesty commanded. Please behold them!” he cried, raising the tachibana fruits in both hands. Over and over he continued shouting before the tomb—until at last, he perished there from his ceaseless cries.

White bird

One

The Twelfth Emperor Keikō possessed such a majestic physique that his height measured one jō and two sun, with the length from his knees downward reaching four shaku and one sun. Furthermore, he fathered eighty children in total. Among these offspring, the Emperor kept by his side only Prince Wakatarashihiko-no-Mikoto—who would later succeed to the throne—Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto, and one other prince. He assigned all seventy-seven remaining children to regional administrative posts: Kuni no Miyatsuko (provincial governors), Wake no Inagi (rice stewards), and Agatanushi (district chiefs).

One day, the Emperor heard rumors that Anihime and Otohime—sisters who were daughters of Kamiōne-no-Mikoto of Mino—were both exceptionally beautiful children. After personally verifying this, he promptly ordered Prince Ōusu-no-Mikoto to summon and bring the two sisters to the palace, intending to employ them as attendants. Thereupon, Prince Ōusu-no-Mikoto took both of those individuals into his own service, found another pair of sister women elsewhere, and, passing them off as Anihime and Otohime, had them presented before the Emperor.

The Emperor clearly saw through that they were other women. However, on the surface, he feigned complete ignorance of the deception and kept both women in the palace as they were. Instead, His Majesty deliberately assigned tasks close at hand to others, thereby subtly making the two women resentful.

After committing such a wicked deed, Prince Ōusu-no-Mikoto felt ashamed to appear before His Majesty the Emperor and ceased showing his face altogether.

One day, the Emperor turned to his younger brother, Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto, and

“Your elder brother—for what reason does he not present himself even during morning and evening meals these days?” “You go and make him understand this well,” he commanded.

However, even after five days had passed and Prince Ōusu-no-Mikoto still had not shown his face, the Emperor summoned Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto and— “Why does your elder brother still not come forth for meals? Have you still not told him yet?” the Emperor inquired. “No, I have informed him,” replied Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto. “Then, how exactly did you speak to him?” “I simply waited early one morning for my elder brother to enter the privy, seized and crushed him, tore off his limbs, wrapped the corpse in a mat, and tossed it away,” replied Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto with utter nonchalance, maintaining perfect composure.

From that time onward, the Emperor came to fear Prince Ousu-no-Mikoto’s harsh and violent disposition terribly, and began considering how he might subtly remove His Highness from his presence. Therefore, before long, he summoned His Highness and,

“In truth, there exist siblings called Kumaso Takeru in the west. Both are impudent wretches who defy my commands. You shall now go forth and strike them down,” His Majesty decreed. Thereupon, His Highness urgently journeyed to Ise to bid farewell to his honorable aunt Yamato-hime, who served at the Grand Shrine. Thereupon, from his aunt came a ceremonial outer robe, formal trousers, and a dagger bestowed as tokens of parting.

His Highness the Prince then immediately proceeded toward the present-day regions of Hyūga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma. At that time, His Highness the Prince, still wearing his hair tied at his forehead, was but a mere boy.

Two

When His Highness the Prince arrived at that land and approached Kumaso Takeru’s residence to observe the situation, he found that the Takeru brothers had their forces surround their house in three concentric layers and were residing within. And coincidentally, the house had just been completed, and since they were to hold a celebratory banquet in the near future, they were in a great uproar making preparations. His Highness the Prince wandered aimlessly around the area, poised to await the arrival of the day of the banquet. When the day finally arrived, he undid the topknot he had worn until then and let his hair hang loose like a young girl’s, then donned the garments bestowed by his honorable aunt, transforming himself completely into the appearance of a young maiden. And, mingling among the other women, His Highness proceeded to enter the banquet hall of the Takeru brothers.

Then, the Kumaso Takeru brothers, utterly convinced that His Highness was truly a woman and greatly taken with his beautiful appearance, seated him between themselves and reveled in boisterous celebration.

His Highness, discerning that everyone had become thoroughly engrossed in revelry, quietly drew forth the sword from his breast—then suddenly seized the elder Takeru brother by the collar with one hand and with a single thrust pierced through his chest, finishing him.

When the younger Takeru brother saw this, he panicked and tried to flee the room. The prince, without delay, chased him down to the foot of the stairs, swiftly grabbed his back, and plunged the blade deep into his buttocks.

Takeru, in that state, did not even try to struggle. “Please do not move that sword for a moment.” “I have one thing I wish to say,” he said. Therefore, His Highness the Prince kept the sword thrust into him and held him pinned down for a while, whereupon Takeru—

“Who exactly are you?” he asked.

“I am Wakatarashihiko-no-Mikoto, son of Emperor Ōtarashihiko who reigns over the realm from Hishiro Palace in Yamato. Since you both have defied the Emperor’s command through your impudent conduct, I have come by imperial decree to subjugate you,” His Highness declared with solemn authority. When Takeru heard this, “There can be no doubt—you are indeed such a lord,” he said. “Throughout all the western lands, none surpasses our strength. Yet in Yamato exists one who outshines even us. With due reverence, I shall bestow upon you a name—henceforth you shall be called Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto.”

As soon as Takeru finished speaking, His Highness the Prince cut down the brute with deep, wet cuts—as though slicing through a ripe melon—and finished him off.

From that time onward, everyone without exception praised His Highness’s martial valor and came to address him by the name Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto. His Highness [Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto], on his journey back to Yamato, first subdued one after another the evil gods—those mountain deities, river deities, and so-called cave-entrance deities who had entrenched themselves in treacherous places across the land—and then circled around to Izumo Province, where he vanquished a villain named Izumo Takeru who had been wielding influence in those parts.

His Highness [Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto] first visited Izumo Takeru’s residence and formed a bond with the villainous Izumo Takeru. Afterward, he secretly carved a tree called *akahinoki* into the shape of a sword, adorned it to resemble a splendid long blade, and hung it at his side. He then invited Izumo Takeru out, and the two went to bathe in the waters of the Hino River. Then, seizing an opportune moment, he exited the water first and, while fastening Izumo Takeru’s long sword to his own waist as if joking,

“How about we swap swords?” His Highness the Prince proposed. Izumo Takeru clambered up sluggishly afterward and,

“Very well, let us exchange,” said Izumo Takeru, deftly tricked into fastening His Highness’s counterfeit blade at his waist. His Highness the Prince then declared, “Now then, let us two hold a contest.” When both reached to draw their swords, Izumo Takeru’s being but a sham blade, no amount of straining could free it from its scabbard. While Izumo Takeru floundered thus, His Highness swiftly unsheathed the true sword and cut down the villain where he stood. Afterward, His Highness fashioned a song mocking Izumo Takeru’s frantic struggles with the unyielding blade and laughed aloud.

Three In this manner, His Highness the Prince completely subdued the bandits along his path, returned to Yamato, and reported everything to the Emperor. Then the Emperor immediately issued a new command: His Highness was to subjugate the evil gods of twelve eastern lands and wicked ones who defied imperial orders. He bestowed upon him a holly spear and assigned Mikurabito Mimi Tatsu Hiko as his attendant. His Highness obeyed the command and departed at once. Along the way, he paid homage at the Grand Shrine of Ise and bid farewell once more to his honorable aunt Yamatohime. At that moment, His Highness addressed her.

“The Emperor must be thinking to have me perish quickly,” he said. “But until recently, I was away subjugating the western bandits—and just when I thought I had finally returned, he immediately sends me out again to defeat eastern villains this time. What could possibly be the reason? Moreover, he does not even grant me what could properly be called a military force. When I press forward and consider all this, I can only perceive it as His Majesty’s desire to see me perish swiftly.” His Highness the Prince spoke thus and, with tears, prepared to depart.

Her Majesty gently consoled His Highness the Prince for his resentment, then bestowed upon him that precious divine sword—the one Susanoo-no-Mikoto had retrieved from the great serpent’s tail in the Age of Gods—along with a single bag, commanding: "Should any sudden emergency arise, untie this bag’s opening."

His Highness [Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto] then entered Owari and lodged at the home of Miyazu-hime, daughter of the provincial governor there. And leaving word that he would surely stop by again on his return, His Highness proceeded further into the eastern lands, subduing one by one the savage gods dwelling in mountains and rivers and other evildoers who refused to serve the Emperor. And before long, His Highness arrived in Sagami Province. Then, the provincial governor there plotted to kill His Highness,

“Over there in the middle of the field lies a great marsh,” he said. “The god residing in that marsh is truly a violent brute, and everyone is troubled,” he deceitfully added. When His Highness the Prince accepted this in good faith and entered the field, the provincial governor suddenly set fire to the plain and began fiercely burning it from all sides. His Highness realized for the first time that he had been deceived by that man. All the while, the fire drew rapidly closer, and his person was brought to peril.

The prince recalled his honorable aunt’s command and hurriedly untied the cord of that bag. Inside lay flint. He swiftly drew the sacred sword from among his treasures and cut down swathes of surrounding grass with sweeping strokes. Using the flint to ignite a counterfire upon this cleared ground, he burned fiercely against the advancing flames. Through this means he finally escaped the blazing field. Then without hesitation he slaughtered every last one of that wicked provincial governor’s men and burned their bodies to ash.

From that time onward, that place came to be called Yaizu. Thereafter, the sword with which His Highness the Prince cut down and cleared the grass came to be called the Kusanagi Sword.

His Highness the Prince departed from the Sagami Peninsula and sought to cross by ship to Kazusa. Midway through the journey, the Sea God of those waters suddenly raised great waves, churning the entire sea into a raging tempest. The Prince's vessel was instantly whirled about in circles and driven adrift, leaving it utterly unable to advance or retreat.

At that moment, Oto Tachibana-hime, the maidservant accompanying His Highness the Prince, declared: “This must surely be the wrath of the Sea God. I shall become your substitute and appease him. Please fulfill the Emperor’s command and return triumphantly to that land.” While speaking these words, she had eight sedge mats, six leather mats, and eight silk mats layered upon the waves—then in one fluid motion, flipped her body and leapt down onto them.

The great wave swiftly engulfed the Princess in the blink of an eye. Then all at once, the sea that had been raging until now suddenly stilled and became a calm, glassy expanse.

Thanks to that，His Highness the Prince was finally able to advance the ship and safely arrive at the shore of Kazusa． On the seventh day thereafter，Oto Tachibana-hime’s comb was washed ashore on this beach． His Highness the Prince had someone retrieve the comb and had a tomb built for the pitiable Princess．

Among the songs Oto Tachibana-hime sang during her lifetime: O rugged Sagami, In Sagami’s plain, Of the blazing fire, Standing amidst flames, You who asked after me. This was a song she composed as a testament to never forgetting His Highness the Prince’s noble heart—how even during that perilous moment when he stood among Sagami’s burning fields under fiery assault, he had shown such concern for me, offering words of solace and inquiry—truly a lord of deep compassion.

From there, His Highness the Prince pressed steadily onward, subjugating unruly villains wherever he went and bringing even the savage gods of mountains and rivers under his command. Thus it was decided at last that His Highness would return once more to Yamato.

While on his journey, when His Highness the Prince was partaking of a meal at the foot of Ashigara Mountain’s slope, the slope god transformed into a white deer, appeared before him, and stood staring fixedly at His Highness.

His Highness the Prince, upon seeing this, took a leftover fragment of garlic chives from his meal and hurled it at the deer. Then, it struck right in the eye, and the deer collapsed with a thud. His Highness the Prince then ascended to the summit of the slope, gazed out at the eastern sea from there, and while profoundly recalling that pitiable Tachibana-hime, “Alas, eastern lands!” "(Ah, my beloved!)" he lamented. From then on, those surrounding provinces came to be called Azuma.

Four

His Highness proceeded from there to Kai Province. Then His Highness stayed at the palace called Sakaori Palace. His Highness passed through Niihari and Tsukuba, and spent several nights.

When His Highness the Prince sang, an old man tending to the bonfire immediately took up the verse after him, Counting all together, Nine nights, Ten days.

The old man sang. That was in response to His Highness the Prince declaring, “While subduing the Emishi and passing through Hitachi’s Niihari and Tsukuba, how many nights did I sleep to reach this place?” It meant: “When I counted, I had slept nine nights and reached the tenth day.” His Highness the Prince praised this answering song and rewarded the old man by appointing him as Governor of the Eastern Provinces. From there, His Highness entered Shinano, subdued the god of that borderland, and temporarily returned to his original destination of Owari.

As he had promised on his way, His Highness the Prince stayed at Miyazu-hime’s house. And entrusting the Kusanagi Sword to Miyazu-hime, he came to subjugate the mountain god of Mount Ibuki in Ōmi. His Highness the Prince declared, “A mountain god of this caliber I could kill even with my bare hands!” and vigorously climbed onward. Then along the way appeared a massive white wild boar, large as a cow. His Highness proclaimed: “This beast taking boar’s form cannot be the mountain god itself. ’Tis but the god’s servant. No need to slay this wretch now—finishing it upon my return will suffice.” With arrogant dismissal, he pressed upward in his ascent.

Then, suddenly, large hail came crashing down. When His Highness the Prince was assailed by the hail, he felt dizzily lightheaded, as though intoxicated, and his consciousness began to fade away. The reason was that the white wild boar from earlier had not been the mountain god’s servant—the mountain god itself had transformed into it. Because His Highness the Prince had shown such contempt and uttered such bold words, the mountain god became enraged, immediately sent down hail laced with poison, and tormented His Highness the Prince.

His Highness the Prince was utterly confounded and nearly overcome, yet somehow managed at last to descend the mountain and take rest by a clear spring welling forth at a place called Tamakurabe. Then, for the first time in that moment, His Highness's condition steadied somewhat. Yet in the end, that venomous miasma left His Highness's body wholly ravaged, and he perished.

Eventually, after departing from there and arriving at a field called Taki-no in Mino Province,

He thought, "Ah, I who always believed I could soar through the skies can no longer even walk." His legs had become bent like a ship’s rudder, he lamented. Then he walked a little further still, but soon grew utterly exhausted and finally had to lean on a cane, advancing one laborious step at a time. In this manner, when His Highness at last returned to Otsu no Saki in Ise—to that seaside spot with a single pine tree—the long sword he had left beneath that very pine during his previous journey’s meal remained exactly as he had forgotten it, preserved intact without disappearing.

His Highness the Prince sang joyfully, “Oh single pine tree! You guarded this sword of mine well. Were you human, I would reward you with a sword at your waist and clothe you in fine robes.” Then he continued walking and arrived at a village. At that time, His Highness the Prince declared, “My legs have become triply bent like this. I’m far too exhausted to walk.” Nevertheless, he forced himself onward and reached a field called Nobono.

In that field, His Highness the Prince deeply reflected on his home - surrounded by those blue mountains, how I long for beautiful Yamato.

However, ah, I— Even to that beloved Yamato, I cannot return.

All living things, Henceforth, having returned in triumph, O Mount Heguri, the leaves of the kumagashi, Decorate your hair and celebrate joyfully.

sang a song conveying its meaning: Oh fleeting vessel, O land of Yamato, Clouds come rising forth. (Ah, how I yearn— Where my home lies, From distant Yamato’s direction, Clouds come rising forth.)

Thus he sang.

And along with that, his condition suddenly took a severe turn for the worse. His Highness the Prince finally—

O maiden’s,

On the bedside, My leaving— The sword—that long blade—

"That sword—ah!" And singing of whether he could ever take up again the treasured sword he had left at Miyazu-hime's home, he departed this world just as his song came to an end.

Hayouma’s messenger hurried to report this matter to the Emperor.

From Yamato, His Highness the Prince’s consort and children, startled, hastened to come. And they built an imperial mausoleum for His Highness the Prince, then prostrated themselves in the surrounding rice fields and wailed and wailed.

Then His Highness the Prince, who had passed away, became a large white bird, emerged from the tomb, soared high into the sky, and flew toward the seashore. When the consort and children saw this, they immediately began chasing after it in tears, and even when bamboo stumps cut into their feet, leaving them drenched in blood, they forgot the pain and pressed on desperately.

In the end, they even waded into the sea, chasing after it with loud splashing. The white bird left those people behind and flew away, passing from rock to rock amidst the sea. The consort struggled through the tide as she wailed and wailed.

The bird finally came from Ise to a place called Shiki in Kawachi and alighted. So they built a tomb there and temporarily enshrined him within it, but the bird later burst forth again, swiftly took to the skies, and vanished without a trace.

Five

His Highness the Prince had six children, all of whom were boys. Among them was one called Prince Okinaga Tarashi Hiko who later succeeded to the throne after Emperor Seimu had followed his grandfather's reign. That is to say, he was known as Emperor Chūai.

While His Highness the Prince was subduing the various regions and making his rounds, a man called Nanahizakaya always accompanied him as his imperial cook.

His father, Emperor Keikō, passed away at the age of 137.

The Conquest of Korea

One

One year, Emperor Chūai personally proceeded to subjugate the Kumaso and took up residence at the palace called Kashii-no-miya in Chikuzen. At that time, one night, the Emperor resolved to receive divine guidance regarding strategies for battle. He had his minister Takeuchi no Sukune sit in the ritual area, and while playing the koto himself, the two of them offered prayers. Then, a certain deity descended into the body of Empress Okinaga Tarashi-hime and borrowed her mouth,

"There lies a land to the west," declared the deity through the Empress, "where gold and silver flow like rivers, and treasures beyond count glitter till they blind the eye. Before wasting effort on these paltry Kumaso lands, I would first make that country yours." "But though I climb high places and gaze westward," replied the Emperor, "there lies only endless sea—no trace of land to be seen." And in his heart he thought:

"This cannot be a true deity," he concluded inwardly—convinced some deceitful spirit had seized possession—then wordlessly shoved aside his koto and sat motionless.

Then the deity grew fiercely enraged. "A ruler who doubts my words cannot keep this land. You shall perish at once," proclaimed the deity.

When Sukune heard those words, he was shocked. "This is most dire! Your Majesty, I implore you to play the koto with even greater devotion!" he frantically urged.

The Emperor reluctantly drew the koto closer and, for a time, plucked at its strings half-heartedly as mere pretense, but soon enough, the koto's sound abruptly ceased.

Sukune, thinking this strange, raised a lamp to look—only to find that the Emperor had already, at some unnoticed moment, breathed his last and lay collapsed where he was. Both the Empress and Sukune, shocked and awed by the deity’s punishment, hurried to transfer his august remains to a temporary shrine. And first and foremost, to appease the deity’s wrath, they made their people seek out every last one of those who had committed defiling sins throughout the surrounding lands—beginning with those who skinned living beasts or flayed animals backward, including those who damaged rice field ridges, filled in ditches, scattered filth about, and others guilty of unspeakable vile acts—then purified them with sacred wands, thereby eliminating all defilement from the realm entirely. Then, Sukune once again sat in the ritual area and earnestly prayed to receive the deity’s oracle anew.

Then from the deity came a similar decree regarding the western land of which it had spoken before.

“Furthermore, this land of Japan shall henceforth be ruled by the child who now resides within Your Majesty’s womb,” declared the deity. At that very moment, the Empress was with child. Sukune, upon hearing this decree, “Then, with all due reverence,” he inquired, “might I humbly ask whether the child now residing in Your Majesty’s womb is a prince or a princess?”

“The child shall be a prince,” the deity proclaimed.

Sukune, still wishing to inquire about all matters, said: “I truly beg your pardon, but Your Excellency who deigns to deliver each and every oracle in this manner—by what august name might we address you? Kindly disclose your august name.” The deity, as before through the Empress’s mouth, proclaimed: “This is all by the divine will of Amaterasu-Ōmikami. Moreover, the three deities—Sokotsutsunoo-no-Mikoto, Nakatsutsunoo-no-Mikoto, and Uwatsutsunoo-no-Mikoto—are also jointly issuing this decree in concert with Her.” Thereupon, for the first time, They revealed Their august names.

The deity then spoke anew,

“If you truly wish to obtain that western land,” declared the deity through Empress Okinaga Tarashi-hime’s voice, “first make offerings to all heavenly deities of the vast sky and earthly deities of the land—including mountain gods, Sea God Wakatsumi-no-Kami himself, and gods governing seas and rivers alike. Then enshrine our three divine spirits upon your ships’ decks. Fill gourds with wood ash; fashion chopsticks and trays in great number; scatter all these across the sea’s surface—and sail forth through their midst.” Thus did Sokotsutsunoo-no-Mikoto and his brothers meticulously instruct them in every detail of conquest.

Thereupon, the Empress promptly gathered her forces, prepared all provisions in accordance with the gods' words, assembled a grand fleet of ships, and valiantly set out into the open sea.

Then all the fish in the sea—every last one, big and small—came rushing over. Together, they hoisted the entire fleet onto their backs and carried them off with a hearty "Heave-ho! Heave-ho!", pushing forward energetically. Just then, as if perfectly timed, a pursuing wind began to blow with ever-increasing force. Therefore, all those very ships dashed forward as if flying. Meanwhile, the great waves driven forth by those massive ships finally coalesced into a colossal, fearsome tsunami that suddenly crashed with a thunderous boom into Silla—a part of present-day Korea—which the Empress was about to subjugate. And in an instant, it had engulfed nearly half of the entire country.

The Empress’s forces pressed their attack with a thunderous roar in the tsunami's wake, allowing no moment of respite. Then the King of Silla, utterly cowering in terror, surrendered immediately.

The King, “We shall henceforth and forevermore become lowly horse grooms in accordance with Your Majesty’s command and serve with utmost devotion.” “And every year we shall prepare ships in great numbers, dispatching them so incessantly that their hulls never dry and their oars and paddles find no moment to parch. Without cease shall we present tribute, serving eternally until heaven and earth perish,” he vowed, prostrated like a flattened spider.

Thereupon, Her Majesty the Empress promptly granted his petition, decreeing that the King of Silla would serve as a horse groom while designating his neighboring realm of Baekje as imperial territory. As a mark of this covenant, she thrust her staff into the earth before Silla's Royal Palace gates and solemnly left it standing there.

Finally, after constructing a shrine and enshrining Sokotsutsuo-no-Mikoto and the two other deities—who had provided meticulous guidance throughout this campaign—as this land’s clan deities, [Empress Jingū] withdrew from Silla with majestic dignity.

II

Before that, Her Majesty the Empress, while still on her campaign, found herself on the verge of giving birth to the august child in her womb. Therefore, she prayed fervently that the august birth might be delayed for a short while, and as part of this ritual, attached stones to the waist of her undergarments—thereby calming her womb and postponing the delivery temporarily. Then, after she had triumphantly returned to Tsukushi, her child was safely born. The august child was indeed a splendid boy, just as the deity had long foretold. At his august birth, this small Emperor bore upon his arm a raised mound of flesh shaped precisely like a tomo—the leather archer’s guard worn on the left arm when drawing a bow. The Empress took this as his august name and bestowed upon him the name Ōtomo-no-Mikoto. That is to say, he later came to be respectfully called Emperor Ōjin. Those who had heard of the tomo-shaped flesh upon His Majesty’s arm declared that even this made it clear he had already been ruling the realm from within Her Majesty’s womb, and all were struck with awe.

Moreover, before her expedition, Her Majesty the Empress had once graced a place called Tamashima in Hizen and partaken of a meal by the riverbank there.

It was April, the season when sweetfish were caught. Her Majesty the Empress descended onto a midstream stone to try her hand, removed the thread from her undergarment to fashion a fishing line, used grains of rice from her meal as bait, and properly caught an *ayu* that could never be caught under ordinary circumstances. Therefore, in this region, ever since then, whenever the beginning of April arrives, the women all remove the threads from their undergarments, use rice grains as bait to catch *ayu*, and have long made this a tradition to commemorate the Empress’s virtue.

III Her Majesty the Empress subsequently subdued Kumaso without difficulty and prepared at last to return to Yamato. Yet she remained vigilant, for in Yamato dwelled two princes of differing parentage—known as Prince Kōsaka and Prince Oshikuma—and were she to lower her guard, they might exploit the Emperor's tender youth to devise some wicked scheme.

Her Majesty the Empress carefully devised a stratagem, prepared a funeral ship, and had the young Emperor board it. Then she spread word that His Majesty had already passed away and departed from Tsukushi under the pretense of returning with his empty coffin.

When Princes Kōsaka and Oshikuma heard this, just as anticipated, they set about to claim the succession themselves. Therefore, first and foremost, they resolved to lie in wait for Her Majesty’s forces and destroy them. Swiftly gathering soldiers, they advanced to a place called Toganono in Settsu.

The princes conducted a trial hunt in that field and resolved to divine the omens through their quarry.

Prince Kōsaka climbed an oak tree and watched the progress of the hunt. Then, suddenly, a large wounded wild boar appeared there and began vigorously digging at the base of that oak tree. And before long, as soon as it had dug through and toppled the tree with a thud, the boar lunged at Prince Kōsaka and voraciously devoured him.

However, Prince Oshikuma, his younger brother, paid no heed to such ill omens and led his forces as they were, pressing onward to the seashore where he lay in wait. Before long, the ships of Her Majesty the Empress and her retinue came into view. Prince Oshikuma, believing that no soldiers were aboard the funeral ship among them, first ordered an attack to be launched directly at that vessel.

However, within that ship, elite soldiers had been concealed in advance. The soldiers, the moment their vessel made landfall, suddenly leapt down with a roar and immediately commenced a fierce battle.

At that time within Prince Oshikuma’s army, a man called Izasawake-no-Sukune had become supreme commander. In response from the Empress’s side, a formidable warrior named Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto became general and launched an attack. Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto swiftly routed Sukune’s forces and chased them relentlessly onward. Then the enemy made a stand at Yamashiro and began stubbornly defending their position. Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto shouted “What are you doing?!” as he attacked again and again with desperate fury. Yet however frantically he pressed them, the enemy refused to retreat even a single step.

In the end, Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto, reconsidering that this would be endless, suddenly gathered his own troops and together faced the enemy forces.

“In truth, Her Majesty the Empress has suddenly passed away, so we have no will to fight any longer,” they declared while, right before Izasawake-no-Sukune’s eyes, having all their soldiers cut through every bowstring in their army—surrendering to him as though it were genuine. Thereupon, Izasawake-no-Sukune—completely letting down his guard at this—first ordered all his own men to remove their bowstrings and stow away every last piece of weaponry.

Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto observed this intently,

When he barked “Now!” as the signal, his subordinate soldiers took out the spare bowstrings they had concealed in their hair and strung their bows in an instant— With a “Whoa!”, they raised a war cry and charged.

The enemy were completely caught off guard and fled in total disarray. Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto pressed his advantage and pursued them relentlessly. The enemy forces retreated as far as Ōsaka in Ōmi, where they briefly rallied to fight, but were routed once more and scattered in flight. Takefutakuma-no-Mikoto finally cornered them at Shinanami in Ōmi and slaughtered every last enemy soldier without exception.

At that moment, Prince Oshikuma and Izasawake-no-Sukune barely leapt aboard a ship and fled into the lake.

However, if they dawdled any longer, it was clear they would be captured at any moment, so the prince turned to Sukune and said, “Come on, you—rather than be killed by Takefutakuma—like a grebe bird,

“Let’s dive into this lake and disappear.” They sang this refrain, then plunged into the water with a splash—and so drowned to their deaths.

IV Her Majesty the Empress thus triumphantly returned at last to Yamato. However, Takeuchi-no-Sukune alone, having escorted the young Emperor, traveled through Ōmi and Wakasa to perform purification rituals to cleanse impurities, built a temporary shrine in a place called Tsuruga in Echizen, and stayed there for some time. Then, the deity known as Izasawake-no-Ōkami, enshrined in that land, appeared one night in Sukune’s dream,

“Would you exchange my name with that of the young Emperor?” Izasawake-no-Ōkami inquired.

Sukune responded reverently, “Your Excellency’s words are too gracious for me to accept. I am deeply grateful.” The Great Deity declared, “Then come accompany me to the seaside tomorrow. Since you have exchanged names, I shall bestow a reward.” Early the next morning, when Sukune escorted the Emperor to the coast and looked out, countless splendid dolphins—each bearing wounds on their snouts—lay washed up across the entire shore.

Sukune promptly sent a messenger to the shrine,

He expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for abundantly providing fish for our provisions.”

His Majesty the Emperor then returned to Yamato.

Her Majesty the Empress Mother had been awaiting and was utterly overjoyed; she promptly had them bring out prepared sake and held a celebratory feast.

The Empress said, "This sake was not brewed by me."

“Sukunabikona-no-Kami, the god of medicine, has brewed this to celebrate your divine fortune,” “Because this is sake he exuberantly brewed for you,” “please drink it all without leaving a drop.” “Now, please drink up.” Empress Jingū sang these words imbued with deep significance.

Sukune, acting on behalf of the Emperor,

"The person who made this sake, setting up a drum atop a mortar, singing and dancing while—"

“Could it be this was brewed through such boundless joy? Truly an extraordinary sake indeed – When partaken, one spontaneously desires to sing, To dance arises unbidden within!”

Ah, how delightful! While singing this response song in unison, they rejoiced together. People of later generations praised the numerous valiant and grand achievements of this Empress Mother and came to specially honor her with the name Empress Jingū.

Red Jewel

I

Regarding the maternal lineage of Empress Jingū, the following tale has been passed down. This occurred long, long ago—even further back than this era—by Agu Marsh in the land of Silla, where a woman was taking a nap one day. Then something wondrous happened—the sunlight transformed into a rainbow and suddenly shot toward the woman's abdomen. A farmer who happened to be passing by saw this and thought it strange. From that moment on, he kept close watch over the woman's movements. Before long, her belly swelled and she gave birth to a red jewel. The farmer received the jewel from her, wrapped it in cloth, and kept it fastened at his waist at all times.

This farmer was creating rice fields in the valley. One day, when the farmer was transporting food for the workers in those fields by loading it onto an ox and carrying it along, he encountered a prince of this country named Amatsuhiko in that valley. The prince saw the farmer leading an ox to a strange place and,

"You there! Why have you brought an ox loaded with food into such a place?" Prince Amatsuhiko demanded. "You must mean to slaughter and devour it in secret!" With this accusation hanging heavy between them like storm clouds over rice fields still damp from morning dew—he lunged forward without warning—calloused hands clamping around trembling wrists—dragging towards cells where sunlight dared not linger—all while righteous fury crackled through his voice like summer lightning splitting cedar trunks.

The farmer said, “No, no, I would never dream of slaughtering this ox. I am simply transporting the workers’ food in this manner and nothing more,” he told the complete truth.

Even so, the prince,

“No, no—you’re lying!” he declared, refusing to relent. In desperation, the farmer took out the red jewel he kept at his waist and offered it to the prince. At last, he managed to secure his release. The prince took that jewel back to his residence and placed it in the alcove. Then, the red jewel suddenly transformed into a beautiful maiden. The prince took that maiden as his bride. The bride always prepared various rare dishes for the prince to eat, but the prince gradually grew selfish, until finally he began violently berating and driving her away.

Then, the bride finally could no longer endure it. “I will now return to my parents’ country for good,” she declared. “I was never a woman meant to be ridiculed as the bride of someone like you in the first place.” Slipping out of the residence, she boarded a small boat and fled all the way to Naniwa Port in Settsu. This woman was later enshrined as a deity named Akaru-hime in that land. Prince Amatsuhiko chased after his bride and finally reached Naniwa Bay, but the sea god there blocked him and would not allow him entry. With no alternative, he turned back, detoured around to Tajima, and landed there. After living there for some time, he eventually took a bride from that land and resolved to settle there permanently.

The one whom Taka-no-Agatahime—the seventh-generation descendant of Amatsuhiko—gave birth to was none other than Empress Jingū's mother. Tajimamori, who had gone to Tokoyo-no-kuni under Emperor Suinin's orders to retrieve tachibana fruits, was one of Amatsuhiko's fifth-generation descendants. When Amatsuhiko crossed over to this land, he brought eight splendid treasures such as jewels and mirrors. Those treasures came to be enshrined as a deity named Izusu-no-Ōkami.

II To the deity enshrined with these treasures was born a goddess named Izushi-otome. Though many gods sought to make this goddess their bride, she refused and would go to none of them.

Among those gods was a deity named Akiyama no Shimoiko-o. That god turned to his younger brother, the deity called Haruyama no Kasumio, "Even if I try to make that goddess my bride, she absolutely refuses to come. How about it? Do you think *you* could win her?" he asked. "If it were me, I’d win her over without any trouble," the younger brother god declared. "Hmph, you think so? Very well! If you can splendidly take that goddess as your bride, I’ll give you my robe as a celebration gift. Then I’ll fill a great jar as tall as myself with sake, gather rare delicacies from land and sea, and invite you to feast. But if you fail to win her, will you do unto me exactly as I said I would do unto you as punishment for spouting such boasts?" he said.

The younger brother god swore, "Oh, very well! Then let us make this vow." And when he returned home and told this to his mother, the goddess mother wove and crafted everything from robes to trousers, shoes to socks using wisteria vines in a single night—then fashioned a bow from those same vines for him. The younger brother god dressed himself fully in those robes and shoes, took up the bow and arrows, and set out for the aforementioned goddess’s residence. Then, in an instant, wisteria flowers burst into bloom all at once upon every part of his robes, shoes, and even his bow and arrows.

When the younger brother god hung the bow and arrows by the lavatory and left them there, the goddess found them and, thinking it strange, took them down and carried them away. The younger brother god immediately followed after her, entered the goddess’s chamber, and said, "Please become my bride." And thus, he finally took the goddess as his bride. Between the two of them, they even had a child. The younger brother god therefore turned to the older brother god and,

“I have obtained the goddess exactly as promised,” he declared. “Therefore, as promised, give me your robe. And then prepare a lavish feast!” Then the older brother god, burning with jealousy toward the younger brother god, neither surrendered the robe nor prepared any feast.

The younger brother god reported this matter to the mother goddess. Thereupon, the goddess summoned the older brother god and rebuked him harshly: "Why do you deceive people so greatly? While dwelling in this world, you must follow all that the splendid gods do. Those like you—base imitators of humans—will not be left unpunished!" Then she cut down bamboo stalks growing on an island in the nearby river, fashioned them into a coarse-woven basket, sprinkled salt upon river stones, wrapped them in bamboo leaves, and placed them inside it.

“May this liar like the elder brother god wither away just as these bamboo leaves wither! May this salt dry up like bracken! And may this stone sink down and collapse as it sinks!” she cursed, then had the basket placed atop the hearth. Then through this curse’s power, the elder brother god withered away and wilted, became gripped by illness, and endured terrible suffering for eight full years. At last completely weakened, he tearfully apologized to the Mother Goddess.

At that time, the Mother Goddess finally released him from the curse. Thanks to this, the older brother god regained his original robust body.

The Uji Crossing

I

In time, even the young Emperor Ōjin fully came of age and began administering governance himself at the Akira Palace in Yamato.

One time, the Emperor went on an imperial tour to Ōmi. During this journey, when His Majesty stood at Ujino in Yamashiro and gazed toward Kadeno, his eyes fell upon that direction where numerous houses were visible and abundant fertile land spread out. While composing a song about the view, His Majesty soon arrived at a place called Kohata, where along the village path he encountered a truly beautiful young maiden.

The Emperor,

“Whose daughter are you?” the Emperor inquired. “I am the child of one called Hifureno Omi and am called Miyanushi Yakaedohime,” the maiden humbly replied.

Then, the Emperor declared, “Then I shall come to your house tomorrow on my return.” Yakaedohime returned home and recounted everything in detail to her father. Father Omi said, “Then that person must be His Majesty the Emperor. This is truly too great an honor! You must take great care to serve him properly without any discourtesy.” And then they promptly decorated every corner of their house thoroughly and waited properly in preparation.

In accordance with the Emperor’s command, he arrived at their residence the following day. Omi and his household fearfully and reverently served a feast while attending to His Majesty. The Emperor took the cup presented by Yakaedohime, As for the crab in this dish—the crab of Tsuruga in Echizen—crawling sideways, did it cross over Ōmi to come here? “I too came from that Ōmi,

In Kohata Village, I met you. Your figure from behind—

Your figure from behind stands straight as a shield. Your beautifully aligned teeth gleam white like chestnut kernels. On your face lies soil from Kunizaka— The soil there— The topsoil is red, The subsoil reddish-black— The middle layer, that middle layer with just the right hue, you've taken as eyebrow ink, drawing your brows thick and dark. "You are truly a beautiful child." With these words in song, His Majesty praised her. The Emperor later took this beautiful Yakaedohime as his consort. From this consort was born a prince called Uji no Waka-iratsuko.

The Emperor had, in total, eleven imperial princes and fifteen imperial princesses.

Among them all, the Emperor cherished Prince Waka-iratsuko, whom Yakaedohime had borne, most dearly. One day, Emperor Ōjin summoned Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto and Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto—the two princes who were each half-brothers from different mothers to Prince Waka-iratsuko—and

“Which do you find more endearing in a child—an older brother or a younger brother?” the Emperor inquired.

Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto, “Anyone would find an older brother more endearing,” he answered bluntly. However, the younger prince Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto properly discerned the Emperor’s sentiments—that by posing such a question, His Majesty undoubtedly intended to set aside the two of them and instead wished to bestow the throne upon their younger brother Waka-iratsuko. Therefore, in accordance with His Majesty’s intention,

“I believe the younger brother would be more endearing. As for the elder brother, he has already come of age and requires no concern. But regarding the younger brother—still a child—he deserves compassion,” he replied.

The Emperor declared, “That is exactly as Sparrow says.” “I am of the same mind,” pronounced His Majesty, then continued— “Now then—from this day forth—among you two and Waka-iratsuko as three: Ōyamamori shall govern matters of sea and mountain; Sparrow shall assist me and administer all other affairs of state.” “And as for Waka-iratsuko—I shall have him succeed to my throne in time.” Having thus spoken, His Majesty formally assigned roles to all three princes.

Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto later disobeyed this command and even attempted to kill Prince Waka-iratsuko, but Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto alone faithfully adhered to the Emperor’s decree until the very end.

Two

The Emperor heard that Morokata no Kimi of Hyūga had a daughter named Kaminaga-hime—a maiden of exceptional beauty—and resolved to summon her to the palace. To this end, His Majesty undertook the long journey himself to call upon her.

Prince Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto saw Kaminaga-hime arrive by ship at Naniwa Port and was deeply impressed by her beauty. Then, facing Takeuchi no Sukune, “Could you ask Father to let me take that Kaminaga-hime—the one summoned from Hyūga this time—as my bride?” he requested.

Sukune acknowledged with deference and immediately reported the matter to the Emperor. Then, the Emperor soon summoned Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto to a banquet. He had the beautiful Kaminaga-hime hold an oak leaf to pour sake and bestowed her upon Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto.

The Emperor, along with that, "I take the children along, gathering wild onions as we pass through,"

That Tachibana tree by the roadside— The upper branches were ravaged by birds, The lower branches stripped bare by people, Only on the middle boughs did flowers bloom. Amidst those unassuming blossoms' glow, Like a small fruit hidden from view— This modest maiden here before you— She suits you perfectly.

"Now take her with you." His Majesty composed and sang a celebratory song conveying this meaning. The prince—who had long heard of this beautiful woman’s renown—took her as his consort with His Majesty’s permission. Overjoyed, he composed a song expressing his delight and took his leave from the imperial presence in great happiness.

Three

During the reign of this Emperor, people from the land of Silla came over in great numbers. Takeuchi no Sukune used those people to dig ponds for drawing water to rice fields in various places. Then, from the King of Baekje came the presentation of one stallion and one mare accompanied by a man named Achikishi, as well as offerings of swords and large mirrors. The Emperor commanded the King of Baekje, “If there are wise people in your land, have them sent over.” The King therefore promptly sent over a scholar named Wani Kishi.

At that time, Wani brought and presented the ten-volume book titled *Analects* and the single-volume book titled *Thousand Character Classic*. Also, various artisans—including a blacksmith named Takuso, a weaver named Saishi, and a skilled sake brewer named Nibata—crossed over together.

The Emperor partook of the sake brewed by Nibata, also known as Susukori. And then, "Ah, I'm drunk—pleasantly drunk on the sake that Susukori brewed. Delightfully drunk!" While singing a song with this meaning, His Majesty went outside the palace and, raising his staff, struck a large stone that lay in the middle of the road leading to Kawachi—whereupon the startled stone leapt away.

Four

The Emperor finally passed away at the venerable age of 130. Therefore, Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto set out to place Waka-iratsuko on the throne in accordance with the long-standing command he had received.

However, his elder brother Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto, in defiance of the Emperor’s final decree, set out to kill Waka-iratsuko and seize the realm for himself, secretly beginning to gather troops.

Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto, having swiftly learned of this matter, immediately dispatched a messenger to inform Prince Waka-iratsuko.

When Prince Waka-iratsuko heard this, he was startled and hurriedly made various preparations. First and foremost, the prince secretly stationed soldiers along the banks of the Uji River. Then, upon Mount Uji, he spread silk curtains and erected screens around them. He dressed one of his retainers to resemble a splendid prince and had him sit upon a chair inside, opening one side of the screen so the figure would be clearly visible from below the mountain. And then, he had various retainers respectfully come and go to that place.

Therefore, from a distance, to any observer’s eyes, it appeared as though his lordship Waka-iratsuko himself were present there. Alongside this, the prince deliberately prepared only one boat to ensure Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto would board without issue when crossing the lower river. Inside this vessel, he had sanakatsura vines pounded into a sticky paste and spread across the floor slats, creating a trap where anyone stepping onto them would instantly slip and fall.

And he himself donned coarse cloth garments, skillfully altered his appearance to resemble a lowly boatman, grasped the rudder, and lay in wait within that vessel. Then, Ōyamamori-no-Mikoto had the soldiers he had brought secretly hide themselves around the area, and he himself, donning plain garments over his armor in an unassuming manner, emerged alone to the riverbank.

Then his eyes immediately caught sight of the magnificent silk curtains arrayed in rows upon that mountain. His Lordship became convinced that the figure sitting imposingly within those curtains was Waka-iratsuko. He therefore promptly boarded the ship and began crossing to the other side.

His Lordship turned to the boatman and said, “Hey, I hear there’s a large boar in those mountains over there. I’d like to take that beast down. How about it—will you catch it for me?” The prince, disguised as a boatman, replied, “No, that is absolutely impossible.” “Why can’t it be done?” “That boar—many people have tried to catch it before, but none could ever succeed. Therefore, no matter how much you may desire it, it is absolutely impossible.”

As he gave this answer, the boat had already reached the very middle of the river. Then, suddenly, the prince tilted the boat with a heavy thud right there and ended up dropping His Lordship into the river with a great splash.

His Lordship soon surfaced on the water and, with only his face showing, was carried further and further along, Ah, I am being swept away! Someone quickly send out a boat, Come save me! he sang these words. At that very moment, along with this, the soldiers that Prince Waka-iratsuko had previously hidden rushed out all at once from here and there with a roar. To prevent His Lordship from reaching the shore, they all nocked their arrows and kept driving him further downstream.

Therefore, His Lordship could do nothing and was carried all the way to a place called Kawara-saki, where he ultimately drowned to death. Prince Waka-iratsuko’s soldiers located His Lordship’s remains, which had sunk bubbling into the depths, and retrieved them with hooks.

As Prince Waka-iratsuko observed this, "I deliberated time and again—should I have my ambushed troops loose their arrows? Should I have them strike him dead? But first I recalled my father, then I remembered my sisters. Though we were both children of the same father, though I too was those sisters' brother—to kill him so needlessly seemed a wretched thing. In the end, I could not let fly even a single arrow."

His Lordship sang a song with this meaning and then withdrew directly to Yamato. And he interred his elder brother’s remains at Nara Mountain. Five

Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto therefore earnestly urged Prince Waka-iratsuko to ascend the throne in accordance with their father’s decree. However, the prince responded, “It is truly our elder brother who should inherit our father’s legacy.” “To set aside my elder brother and claim the throne myself—such an act lies beyond my capability.” “I implore your understanding,” he declared, steadfastly resolved to preserve his elder brother’s honor above all else.

However, His Lordship Ōsazaki for his part insisted that no matter what might occur, he could not defy their father’s decree, and for a long time the two princes continued deferring to one another.

At that time, a fisherman came up bringing items to present to the Emperor.

When the fisherman visited Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto, His Lordship declared, "Present this to Prince Waka-iratsuko—that one is the Emperor," and refused to accept it. Then when [the fisherman] approached the prince instead, he commanded, "Offer this to my elder brother." The fisherman went back and forth between them, and since this occurred not merely two or three times, he eventually grew exhausted from all the coming and going, until finally he burst into wailing sobs. Because of this, even the proverb "Though not a fisherman, one weeps over an excess of their own possessions" came into being.

The two princes had gone to such great lengths, each fulfilling their duties to the utmost, but when Prince Waka-iratsuko suddenly suffered an untimely death, Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto had no choice but to finally ascend to the throne. The one who would come to be called Emperor Nintoku by later generations was none other than this very emperor.

Naniwa Palace

One

When Emperor Nintoku ascended to the throne, he established Naniwa no Takatsu Palace as the imperial residence and appointed Iwa-no-hime, the daughter of a man named Sotohiko of Kazuraki, as his empress anew.

When Prince Ōsazaki-no-Mikoto had not yet ascended the throne, he once visited an island called Himejima in Settsu Province and held a sake feast there. By chance, a wild goose had laid eggs on that island. The prince—having never before heard of a wild goose laying eggs in Japan—found this most extraordinary. Later summoning Takeuchi Sukune, he inquired through song: "You who possess rare longevity in this world—have you ever heard of a wild goose laying eggs in Japan?"

Sukune replied, “Indeed, that is a most reasonable inquiry.” “Though I have lived this long, never until today have I heard of such an instance,” he answered in song. After this response, he respectfully borrowed the koto nearby and played it while singing: “This surely foretells Your Highness shall finally govern the realm—an auspicious omen beyond doubt.” True to these words, the prince ultimately succeeded his father the Emperor from among his fifteen royal siblings.

After ascending to the throne, the Emperor once ascended a high mountain and surveyed the villages in all directions. And he grew disheartened and proclaimed:

"As far as I can see," he declared, "every village lies still and silent—not a single wisp of smoke rises from any house." "It appears that everywhere our people are so impoverished they have nothing left to cook or eat." "For three years henceforth—collect no taxes whatsoever from them!" "And permit them to devote themselves fully to their labors," he decreed.

Thus, throughout those full three years, since no offerings whatsoever were made to the imperial court from anywhere, the Emperor too experienced truly severe hardships. For instance, even if the palace buildings were to collapse, he had no funds at hand to repair them. Yet despite this, the Emperor neglected not even the smallest detail—whenever heavy rains fell, he would bring tubs into the chambers to catch the gushing leaks, while finding spots untouched by droplets and repeatedly shifting his seat to endure.

Three years later, when he ascended the mountain once more to survey the land, everything had completely transformed from before. As far as his eyes could see, every village was filled with smoke rising vigorously into the sky. The Emperor saw this and declared that everyone had now become truly prosperous, finally able to rest assured. And there, for the first time, he imposed taxes and labor services.

So, as the people had already amassed sufficient stores, they could readily undertake both submitting their tributes and performing their labor services.

The Emperor was a person of such deep compassion toward his subjects. Therefore, even in later generations, they continued to revere him eternally and reverently refer to his reign as that of a Holy Emperor.

Two

The Empress Iwa-no-hime, who was the consort of this Emperor, proved to be a woman of extraordinarily fierce jealousy; at even the slightest provocation, she would immediately stamp her feet and raise a commotion as though flames had been lit. Because of this, the women serving in the palace could not even inadvertently enter the Emperor’s chambers. One time, the Emperor heard that in a place called Kurosaki—located in what was then called Kibi, now the regions of Bizen and Bitchū—there lived an exceptionally beautiful daughter of a man named Amabe no Nao called Kurohime. He immediately summoned her to the palace and put her into service there.

However, because the Empress, at every turn, became excessively jealous and tormenting, Kurohime, unable to bear it any longer, finally fled the palace and returned home.

At that time, the Emperor ascended to the high hall and, while gazing upon the ship carrying Kurohime departing from Naniwa Port,

Poor thing, there goes Kurohime returning.

Out there on the open sea, amidst numerous small boats, that woman's ship departs. And he composed a poem expressing this sentiment. When the Empress heard of this, she flew into a terrible rage. She immediately sent men to forcibly drag Kurohime from the ship and deliberately made her walk all the way back to distant Kibi Province. Even after this, the Emperor continued living while constantly cherishing Kurohime with deep pity. For this reason, the Emperor finally declared one day that he would inspect Awaji Island. After making arrangements for the Empress's comfort and visiting the island, he secretly journeyed from there to seek out Kurohime in Kibi.

Kurohime led His Majesty the Emperor to a place called Yamagata. Thinking to prepare a thick soup for His Majesty's meal, she went out to gather greens. Thereupon His Majesty the Emperor also went out to observe, became deeply fascinated by what he saw, and expressed his feelings in a poem. When His Majesty the Emperor was finally about to depart, Kurohime sang a farewell song. For the rest of her life, Kurohime could never forget the profound honor of His Majesty going to such extraordinary lengths—even concealing himself—to visit her.

Three

Afterward, there was a time when the Empress made a special trip to Kii Province specifically to gather leaves called Mitsugashiwa (sacred oak leaves) used for serving sake at a banquet she was hosting.

During Her Majesty’s absence, a lady-in-waiting named Yata no Wakairatsume attended upon the Emperor.

Her Majesty the Empress soon loaded the Mitsugashiwa leaves onto the ship and returned toward Naniwa. On their way back, as a ship carrying some women from the Empress’s entourage continued to lag behind her vessel and reached the sea called Ōwata of Naniwa, a ship approached from the opposite direction. Among them was a low-ranking servant from Kibi, who had worked at the office responsible for drawing drinking water for Takatsu Palace and had been granted leave to return home. As the ships passed each other, the man,

“His Majesty the Emperor has lately taken quite a liking to Lady Yata no Wakairatsume—why, he’s become utterly smitten with her!” the man gossiped as they passed. Upon hearing this, the women deliberately hurried to catch up to the Empress’s ship and reported the matter to her ears. At this, Her Majesty the Empress, true to her fiery temperament, immediately began seething with irritation and furiously cast all the Mitsugashiwa leaves she had painstakingly brought all that way into the sea. Not long after, the ship returned here, but the Empress—the more she thought about Wakairatsume, the more resentful she grew—in a fit of anger, did not dock at the port. Instead, she had the ship steered straight into Horie, then proceeded up the Yodo River all the way to Yamashiro.

At that moment, the Empress, "Though I wandered up the Yamashiro River so aimlessly, driven by resentment I can scarcely endure, when I reflect, still I long for His Majesty's presence. Now before my eyes along this riverbank, bird-leaf trees grow. Beneath those trees, lush broad-leaved camellias bloom in glossy crimson. Ah, how could I not yearn for His Majesty the Emperor—who shines like those blossoms, whose heart stretches wide as those broad leaves, who remains ever gentle?" she composed in verse.

However, even so, because returning directly to the palace in haste felt somewhat galling to her, she ultimately disembarked from the ship and detoured toward Yamato.

At that time as well, the Empress, "I have finally ascended the Yamashiro River, passed through Nara and Kodate, wandering all over like this—yet there is not a single place I wish to see. The only place I wish to see is none other than Takatsu Palace," she composed in a poem.

Then she turned back once more to Yamashiro, made her way to a place called Tsutsuki, and took up residence at the home of a Korean naturalized citizen named Nuri Nomi who lived there.

When the Emperor heard all of this, he turned to a palace attendant named Toriyama and,

He commanded through a poem conveying the meaning "Go quickly and meet her," then had him dispatched to the Empress. Next, he summoned a man named Maruni no Omi Kuchiko and, "Though Her Majesty the Empress persists in sulking endlessly and refuses to return to the palace, she must surely hold thoughts of me in her heart." He composed two poems expressing the sentiment "Between us who share this bond, there need be no such obstinacy," and once again sent Kuchiko to retrieve her.

When Kuchiko, the messenger, arrived at Nuri Nomi’s residence, he resolved to present the Emperor’s poem to the Empress without a moment’s delay and made his way to the front garden of her quarters.

At that very moment, a heavy rain was pouring in torrents. Kuchiko, undaunted by the rain, prostrated himself before the veranda of the Empress's chambers. The Empress stiffly turned away and abruptly retreated toward the rear doorway. Kuchiko fearfully circled around to that side and prostrated himself again. Thereupon, the Empress swiftly returned to position herself at the front doorway. As Kuchiko scrambled back and forth across the muddy ground on his knees, the rain intensified into a cloudburst until standing water rose waist-high. Kuchiko wore a tie-dyed jacket with crimson cords, but when the soaked cords bled their dye completely, his blue garment ultimately became stained scarlet throughout.

At that time, by the Empress's side was a woman named Kuchihime—Kuchiko's younger sister—who was serving her. Kuchihime saw her brother in that state, "Oh, how pitiful! He's gone to such lengths to make his appeal, yet watching him brings tears to my eyes," she sang this sentiment in a song.

The Empress heard this, "Who is this brother you speak of?" she inquired.

“The one who has been prostrating himself there in the water since earlier is my brother Kuchiko,” Kuchihime answered, holding back her tears.

Afterward, Kuchiko consulted with Kuchihime and Nuri Nomi, and they concluded that there was surely no other recourse than to have His Majesty the Emperor come here—thus settling on this plan. Thereupon, Kuchiko hurried back to the palace and reported. “Upon arriving and fully hearing the circumstances, Her Majesty the Empress visited that place because Nuri Nomi keeps a rare insect in his residence—she went solely to see it.” “Other than that, there is absolutely no other reason whatsoever.” “This insect,” Kuchiko explained with deliberate wonder, skillfully presenting what even children knew to be a silkworm as though it were a marvel, “first exists as a crawling creature, then becomes an egg, and next transforms into a flying insect—a curious creature that changes its form three times in succession.”

Then the Emperor declared, “Ah, if there’s such an intriguing insect, I shall go see it myself,” immediately departed the palace, and made an imperial visit to Nuri Nomi’s residence. Nuri Nomi had already presented to Her Majesty the Empress the three types of insects exactly as Kuchiko had reported, doing so in advance.

The Emperor stood before the door to the Empress’s chambers, “Because you cling to your anger so stubbornly, everyone has been compelled to come all this way. Have done with this—return now,” he declared in verse, and shortly thereafter made his ceremonial return to Naniwa Palace with his retinue.

The Emperor dismissed Yata no Wakairatsume along with that. However, in exchange, to ensure the lady's name would endure forever, he established a tribe called Yatabe.

IV Then, on one occasion, the Emperor, attempting to summon Princess Metori—a person of close royal lineage—to the palace, appointed his younger brother Prince Hayabusawake as his envoy.

When Prince Hayabusawake promptly went and conveyed His Majesty’s summons, Princess Metori shook her head,

“No, no—I do not wish to serve in the imperial court. “Is it not that even Yata no Wakairatsume had to leave service, unable to continue her duties, because Her Majesty the Empress harbors such deep-seated jealousy? “Rather than that, though I am but such as I am, please take me as your bride,” she entreated. Thus, the Prince took Princess Metori as his bride. And regarding the Emperor, she remained without ever giving a response.

Then, at last, the Emperor took it upon himself to visit Princess Metori’s residence. Standing upon the threshold, he peered inside—and there was the Princess, right in the midst of weaving at her loom.

The Emperor inquired through a poem, “Whose robes are you weaving there?” Then Princess Metori likewise responded in song, “I am weaving these to be worn by Prince Hayabusawake, so it is.”

The Emperor heard this, fully comprehended the situation regarding the two, and returned straight back to the palace.

After that, when Prince Hayabusawake soon departed,

“Listen. My lord! Does not even the skylark soar ever higher through the heavens? Though your noble name bears that of the falcon among hawks, come now—quickly strike down the sasagi and be done with it!” she sang with this intent. This was, needless to say, Princess Metori’s treacherous scheme: since the Emperor bore the name Ōsazaki no Mikoto (“Great Sparrow”), she drew metaphorical connection to the sasagi bird, urging Prince Hayabusawake to swiftly slay His Majesty and seize the throne for himself.

Then, before anyone knew it, the matter of that song reached His Majesty the Emperor’s ears. The Emperor immediately gathered troops and dispatched them to kill Prince Hayabusawake.

When Prince Hayabusawake realized this, he panicked and fled swiftly to Yamato with Princess Metori. During their journey, as they crossed the steep Mount Kurahashi, the delicate Princess Metori struggled terribly, clinging desperately to her husband's hand until they finally reached the summit. When the pair arrived further at a place called Sono in Yamato, the Emperor's troops caught up to them and stabbed them both to death.

The one who led the army forces at that time was a valiant warrior named Yamabe no Ōtate no Muraji. Muraji, seeing the splendid bracelet adorning the wrist of Princess Metori’s corpse, promptly stripped it off and took it back to give to his wife.

Before long, a banquet was held at the imperial palace, and the wives and daughters of the retainers were summoned in great numbers. Then Ōtate no Muraji’s wife wore Princess Metori’s bracelet proudly on her wrist as she arrived. The Empress bestowed upon those women, with her own hands, oak leaves for serving sake. Everyone came forward before Her Majesty one after another, received them, and withdrew. At that moment, the Empress suddenly noticed the bracelet on Muraji’s wife’s wrist. When she realized it was Princess Metori’s possession that she had long recognized, Her Majesty abruptly altered her countenance, refrained from giving oak leaves to this woman alone, and promptly expelled her from the banquet hall. And she promptly summoned her husband Muraji,

“You stole someone’s bracelet and brought it here for your wife.” “Those two—Hayabusawake and Metori—attempted to commit a terrible crime against His Majesty the Emperor. Their execution was only natural.” “Yet from one such as you—are they not both princes of higher standing?” “To strip what that person wore while their corpse still held warmth, and give it to your own wife—ah, how could you commit such an atrocity?” she declared, relentlessly pressing her condemnation before mercilessly ordering his immediate execution.

V

During the reign of this Emperor, on the western bank of a river called Usugawa, there stood a single enormous tree. Whenever the morning sun shone, its shadow reached as far as Awaji Island, and when struck by the evening sun, stretched even beyond Takayasuyama in Kawachi. The local people cut down that tree and built a ship. Then a vessel that ran with extraordinary swiftness was completed. All named this ship Kareno. Morning and evening they would board it to draw clear water welling from Awaji Island and present it for the imperial court's use.

Later, everyone burned the old, broken ship to make salt and crafted a koto from the remaining wood. When someone played that koto, it is said that its sound resonated as far as seven villages. The Emperor finally passed away at the venerable age of eighty-three.

Large Bell, Small Bell

I

Emperor Nintoku had five princes and one princess. Among them, Izahowake, Mizuhawake, and Wakako no Sukune successively ascended to the imperial throne.

The eldest brother, Prince Izahowake, succeeded his deceased father’s position and ascended to the throne as Emperor Richū at the same Naniwa Palace.

During the enthronement celebration, the Emperor drank copious amounts of sake and retired to sleep while heavily intoxicated. Then his younger brother Prince Nakatsu, seizing this opportunity to assassinate the Emperor and usurp the throne, abruptly set fire to the palace. The flames immediately raged and spread fiercely in all directions. Everyone in the palace was caught completely off guard and erupted into frantic chaos.

Despite this, His Majesty the Emperor remained in a disoriented stupor. A man named Achi no Nao swiftly scooped him up, forcibly hoisted him onto a horse, and fled toward Yamato. His Majesty the Emperor, who had been in a drunken stupor, finally awoke atop the horse when they reached Tajihino in Kawachi, “Where is this place?” His Majesty inquired. Achi no Nao,

“As His Highness Prince Nakatsu has set fire to the palace, I am currently accompanying you to Yamato for the time being,” he responded.

The Emperor started upon hearing this for the first time, “Ah, had I known I would be sleeping in this Tajihino Field, I would have brought even a simple windbreak to guard against the night wind,” and thus composed a song conveying this sentiment.

Then His Majesty proceeded to a slope called Haniyūzaka, and when he gazed back toward distant Naniwa from there, the palace fire was still blazing crimson and fierce. The Emperor composed a song conveying: “Ah, so many houses burn. Does my consort’s palace too blaze among those flames?”

Then, when they arrived at the foot of Mount Ōsaka in Kawachi, a woman happened to pass by from the opposite direction. When His Majesty asked the woman for directions, she— “Atop this mountain, a large number of people carrying weapons are blocking the path. If Your Majesty intends to proceed to Yamato, it would be advisable to take a detour via Taima Road,” she respectfully advised.

The Emperor acted in accordance with the woman’s words, safely entered Yamato, arrived at Isonokami Shrine, and took temporary residence there.

Then, the second younger brother, Prince Mizuhawake, paid a visit to that shrine and intended to present himself before the Emperor. The Emperor, through those by his side,

“You must surely be conspiring with Prince Nakatsu,” declared the Emperor. “I will not grant you an audience.” The Prince responded, “No, no! I harbor no such treacherous intentions. I am certainly not of the same womb as Prince Nakatsu or any such conspirator.”

The Emperor declared, “If that is so, return now to Naniwa and defeat Prince Nakatsu. After that, I will grant you an audience.”

II

Prince Mizuhawake hurriedly returned here. And he summoned Sohakari, a valiant warrior serving by Prince Nakatsu’s side, “If you heed my words, I shall soon become emperor and raise you to the rank of minister. How about it? Let us rule the realm together like this,” he skillfully coaxed. Then Sohakari was overjoyed,

“If it is your command, I will do anything,” he replied respectfully. The prince bestowed various gifts upon Sohakari and, “Then, kill Prince Nakatsu, whom you serve, and return,” he commanded. Sohakari,

“Understood,” he replied without hesitation, promptly accepting the command and dashing back. He lay in wait as the prince was about to enter the privy, then stabbed him to death with a single thrust.

Prince Mizuhawake departed for Yamato at once, together with Sohakari. On the way, when they arrived at the foot of that familiar Mount Ōsaka, His Highness deeply pondered. "This Sohakari has indeed accomplished a great deed for me, but considered solely from his own standpoint, he remains a villain who murdered his master. If I leave this man as he is, there's no telling what atrocities he might commit in days to come. I should eliminate him swiftly while the opportunity lasts. Yet if I fail to properly reward this service, people will no longer place their trust in me hereafter."

Having thought this through, he suddenly settled on a plan. So he addressed Sohakari, “Let us stay in this village tonight. And having bestowed upon you the rank of Minister, tomorrow we shall pay a visit there,” he declared, abruptly having a temporary palace erected at that location. Then he held a grand banquet where he appointed Sohakari to the rank of Minister and commanded all officials to pay him homage.

Sohakari declared that his wish had finally been granted and swelled with pride, rejoicing. Prince Mizuhawake,

“Then let us drink anew from the same cup, you, the Minister,” he declared while deliberately having wine poured into an oversized cup—larger than a person’s face—until it brimmed. Then, after first taking a sip himself, His Highness presented it to Sohakari. Sohakari received it and began gulping it down.

The prince, the moment Sohakari’s face was concealed by that cup, drew the sword he had previously hidden beneath a mat and swiftly severed Sohakari’s head. Then, on the following day, he departed from there, proceeded to Tōtsu-Asuka village in Yamato, lodged there for another night, performed purification prayers, and on the next day proceeded to Isonokami Shrine. And in accordance with the imperial command, he humbly reported, "I have subdued Prince Nakatsu and returned."

It was then that the Emperor first permitted the prince to approach his presence. Then, to Achi no Nao as well, the Emperor appointed him to the position of Kura no Tsukasa (Storehouse Overseer) as a reward, and also granted him a vast amount of rice fields. III

The Emperor later moved to Wakasakura Palace in Yamato and finally passed away at the age of sixty-four. Following this, His Highness Prince Mizuhawake, the younger brother, succeeded to the throne. It is this emperor who would later be honored with the august name Emperor Hanzei. The Emperor possessed a stature of 9 shaku 2 sun 5 bu (approximately 2.8 meters), with teeth measuring 1 sun (approximately 3 cm) in length and 2 bu (approximately 6 mm) in width. His Majesty’s upper and lower teeth were perfectly aligned, as beautiful as a string of jewels. He administered governance at the Tajihi no Shibagaki Palace in Kawachi and passed away at the venerable age of sixty.

IV

Following Emperor Hanzei, his younger brother Prince Wakugo no Sukune acceded to the throne as Emperor Ingyō and transferred his court to the Tōtsu-Asuka Palace in Yamato.

The Emperor had long suffered from an incurable illness and declared that in his current physical state he could not ascend to the throne, initially refusing the position with firm resolve. However, as the Empress and all officials persistently entreated him, he reluctantly ascended to the throne. Before long, tribute arrived from Silla aboard eighty-one ships. The two envoys dispatched on this mission—Kinbachin and Kanki Bu—were both deeply versed in medical arts and promptly cured the Emperor's longstanding ailment. Through this intervention, the Emperor ultimately lived to reach seventy-eight years of age.

The Emperor lamented that among the many tribes across Japan, many were haphazardly adopting clan names. He proceeded to a village in Yamato where he established a pot called Kutsube filled with roiling boiling water, thereby properly regulating all clan names throughout Japan. When they made each person put their hand into that boiling water one by one, those who had truthfully declared their real clan names remained unharmed, while those who had made false claims immediately suffered scalded and blistered hands—thus enabling them to distinguish between truth and falsehood in every instance.

V

After the Emperor had passed away, it had been decided that the eldest prince, Prince Kinashi Karu, would ascend to the throne. However, before the prince could ascend to the throne, he committed an unspeakable misdeed concerning his personal conduct, so all the court officials and lowly people alike deserted him and rallied instead to his younger brother, Prince Anaho. Prince Karu, fearing that any carelessness might expose him to unknown schemes from Prince Anaho’s faction, took refuge in the residence of the two sibling ministers, Ōmae no Sukune and Koma no Sukune. There he promptly prepared military equipment—forging a great quantity of arrows called *Karuya*, their arrowheads fashioned from copper—and stood ready.

In response, Prince Anaho likewise made his own battle preparations. On their side as well, they rapidly produced arrows called Anaho Arrows, which had iron arrowheads like those of later eras. And before long, the prince himself personally led his military forces and laid siege to the residences of Ōmae and Koma.

Prince Anaho charged at the forefront through the suddenly falling hail and pressed forward to the gate entrance. “Now, everyone! Advance as I do!” “The hail will cease before long.” “And just as this hail stops, we will eliminate every last one of them!” With a song that meant “Come now, come!”, he rallied his troops.

Then Ōmae no Sukune and Koma no Sukune raised their hands, slapped their knees, and came out singing and dancing.

"Why all this uproar? "For something as trivial as a small bell falling from the cords of a courtier’s hakama—neither courtiers nor villagers need make such an uproar."

Singing a song with this meaning, they came forth before Prince Anaho, “If Your Highness were Prince Karu, there would be no need to go to such lengths as attacking. If you attack your own brother, people will laugh. I will take charge of His Highness the Prince and present him,” they declared.

Thereupon, Prince Anaho lifted the siege, withdrew, and waited at the ready. Then the two Sukune dutifully escorted Prince Karu forth and presented him.

VI

Prince Karu had a full sister—Princess Ōiratsume—with whom he shared an exceptionally close bond. Princess Ōiratsume was a woman of unparalleled beauty, her radiant form shining through even her robes, earning her the alternate name Princess Koromo-doō. Having been delivered into Prince Anaho’s hands, Prince Karu contemplated his dear sister’s profound grief. “Ah, Princess,” he sang, “if you weep so bitterly, people will hear and mock you.” His song carried the meaning: “Like the mountain doves of Hasa Mountain, weep instead in secret—let your tears fall hidden.”

Prince Anaho thereupon exiled Prince Karu to the island of Iyo.

At that time, Princess Ōiratsume,

“Though you walk along the shore, should you tread upon oyster shells, I beg you take utmost care—proceed with caution, that no harm may befall you,” she implored through tearful sobs as she presented the song to her elder brother. Princess Ōiratsume continued to worry solely about her elder brother even after that, but finally, unable to bear it any longer, she journeyed all the way to Iyo to follow after him.

Prince Karu was truly overjoyed and, taking Princess Ōiratsume’s hand, “You truly came for me! It was precisely because you—shining like a mirror and glowing like a jewel—existed that I yearned endlessly for Yamato… yet with you standing beside me now, what meaning could Yamato or home hold?” he sang in a song conveying this meaning.

Before long, the two of them committed suicide in that land.

A herd of deer, a herd of wild boars.

I

After Prince Anaho exiled his elder brother Prince Karu to an island, he ascended as the twentieth Emperor Ankō and relocated to the Anaho Palace at Isonokami in Yamato. The Emperor conceived the idea of taking as a bride for his younger brother, Prince Ōhatsuse, Wakakusaka-no-Ō—the younger sister of Ōkusaka-no-Ō, a prince of Emperor Nintoku who was none other than his great-uncle.

Therefore, Emperor Ankō had someone named Neomi sent to Ōkusaka-no-Ō to convey his intention. When Ōkusaka-no-Ō heard this, he performed four reverent bows and said: "In truth, I too had considered the possibility that such an imperial decree might be issued, so I have kept my sister from even going outside in her daily life. Though it is truly presumptuous, we shall humbly offer her as you command." However, deeming it discourteous to respond with mere words alone, he had Wakakusaka-no-Ō send a splendid hair ornament called Oshiki no Tamakazura to the Emperor as a tribute—a token of gratitude.

Then the envoy Neomi violently stole that Tamakazura hair ornament along the way and, when facing the Emperor,

“I conveyed Your Majesty’s command, but the king refused to comply,” Neomi declared. “He said, ‘How could I surrender my own sister to become bedding for such a lowborn wretch?’ and became so enraged he gripped his sword’s hilt.” Thus did Neomi weave his rootless fabrications, spreading venomous slander. The Emperor flew into a terrible rage and immediately dispatched men to kill Ōkusaka-no-Ō. He then took Princess Nagata no Ōiratsume, the slain king’s queen, and made her his Empress.

One day, as the Emperor was about to take an afternoon nap and had lain down on his bed, he addressed the Empress who was present at his side, "Do you have anything on your mind?" he inquired. The Empress replied, "No, that could never be the case. Having received such immense kindness from you, what more could I possibly dwell upon?" At that very moment, beneath the palace, His Highness Prince Mewaka—whom the Empress had conceived with the late Ōkusaka-no-Ō and who was now seven years old—was playing alone.

Since the Emperor was unaware of this, he inadvertently declared: “There is one thing that always weighs on my mind—when Mewaka grows older and learns I killed his father, I fear he may seek revenge against me.”

Prince Mewaka, hearing this from below, realized in astonishment that it had been the Emperor who killed his father. Before long, the Emperor fell soundly asleep. Prince Mewaka seized that moment to stealthily ascend into the palace, drew the great sword lying near the pillow, and suddenly severed the Emperor's head. He immediately slipped out of the palace and fled into the residence of a man named Tofuraoiomi.

The Emperor breathed his last in that very manner. He was fifty-six years old. At that time, his younger brother Prince Ōhatsuse was still a young boy wearing his hair in a boy’s topknot, but when he heard that Prince Mewaka had slain the Emperor, he became utterly enraged and immediately rushed to his elder brother Prince Kurohiko’s residence.

“Brother, something terrible has happened! There’s a bastard who killed the Emperor! What should we do?” he consulted. Then, though Prince Kurohiko was the Emperor’s full brother, he showed not the slightest surprise and remained perfectly composed. When Prince Ōhatsuse beheld this, he flared up in rage, “What manner of utterly unreliable man are you? Has our Emperor not been slain? And that person is also your elder brother, is he not? What is the meaning of listening to this so calmly?” he declared, then suddenly grabbed Prince Kurohiko by the collar, dragged him out, drew his sword, and struck him down with a single blow.

The prince then proceeded to the residence of his next elder brother, Prince Shirahiko, and in the same manner announced that the Emperor had been slain. Prince Shirahiko was the Emperor’s full younger brother. Yet this person too maintained the same composed expression and remained unperturbed. The prince then seized his elder brother by the nape and dragged him out, hauling him all the way to a village called Koharida. There he dug a hole, stood him upright within it, and buried him alive.

As they piled on more and more earth and buried him up to his waist, both his eyeballs popped out, and thus he met his end.

II

Prince Ōhatsuse then led his army forces and surrounded the residence of Tofuraoiomi, who was sheltering Prince Mewaka. Then, they too had meticulously prepared their defenses and lay in wait. At that very signal, arrows shot forth in a dense cloud, like reed blossoms scattering in the wind.

Prince Ōhatsuse had long since resolved to make Tofuraoiomi’s daughter Karahime his bride. Prince Ōhatsuse now stood firm, his spear planted amidst the relentless onslaught of arrows,

“Tofuraoiomi! Is Karahime within this residence?” Prince Ōhatsuse thundered in a booming voice. When Tofuraoiomi heard this, he hurriedly discarded his weapons and came before the Prince. And he prostrated himself eight times in reverence as he addressed him. “I will certainly present my daughter Karahime to you as promised. Moreover, I shall humbly offer my territory of five villages along with my daughter. I only ask that you kindly wait a little while longer. The reason I cannot present my daughter to you immediately is this: while I have heard of subordinates since ancient times fleeing to take refuge in Your Highnesses’ palaces, never have I heard of a noble prince fleeing to seek shelter in a lowly retainer’s residence. I am fully aware that no matter how fiercely I fight, I cannot prevail against you. However, since Prince Mewaka has deigned to rely on someone as lowly as myself and even entered my humble abode, I, for my part, cannot abandon him even if it means my death. As for my daughter, please take her with you after I have perished in battle.”

Having said this, he withdrew from the prince’s presence, took up his weapons once more, entered the residence, and fought with all his might. Before long, Tofuraoiomi finally sustained a severe hand wound. They too completely exhausted their arrowheads. Thereupon, Tofuraoiomi turned to Prince Mewaka and,

“I am in this state and can no longer continue the fight. What should I do?” he addressed him.

The young Prince Mewaka, “In that case, there is no other way. Kill me quickly,” he commanded. Tofura obeyed the command and immediately stabbed the Prince. Then, with that very sword, he cut his own neck and died.

III

Not long after this disturbance had been settled, one day, a man named Karafukuro from Ōmi came to Prince Ōhatsuse and reported that deer and wild boars were present in great numbers at a place called Kayano in that region.

“To speak of their sheer abundance—the gathered legs are like pampas grass across a field, and the clustered antlers are like a forest of withered trees,” reported Karafukuro. Prince Ōhatsuse declared, “Very well,” and immediately set out for Ōmi with Prince Oshiha—who was both a son of Emperor Ingyō and his own cousin—the two traveling together. When the princes arrived at Kayano, they each built separate temporary huts and took residence within them.

The following morning, Prince Oshiha awoke before dawn had broken. Without a trace of hesitation, he immediately had his horse readied and set out for Prince Ōhatsuse's temporary hut. There, the prince still lay deep in slumber. Prince Oshiha turned to the attendants and declared: "It appears His Highness has not yet awakened. Since daybreak has come, inform him to depart promptly." With these words, he urged his horse forward and made his way to the hunting grounds.

The prince’s attendants turned to him and said, “Just now Prince Oshiha came and made certain statements—doesn’t something seem strange about his words? Under no circumstances must Your Highness lower your guard! We implore you to don full armor before departing.” They delivered this warning with grave suspicion. Accordingly, Prince Ōhatsuse deliberately clad himself in armor beneath his robes. Then seizing his bow and arrows while summoning his steed, he hastened forth in urgent pursuit of his cousin.

Prince Ōhatsuse soon caught up with Prince Oshiha, and the two princes proceeded side by side on their horses. Seizing an opening, Prince Ōhatsuse swiftly nocked an arrow and abruptly shot down the blameless Prince Oshiha. And still unsatisfied, he hacked the body into pieces, tossed them into a horse feed trough, and buried it in the ground.

IV

Prince Oshiha had two children: Prince Ooke and Prince Oke.

The two princes, upon hearing that their father had been killed, resolved that they too could not afford to remain idle and hastily fled Yamato. As the two princes were partaking of their meal at a place called Karuhai in Yamashiro during their journey, an elderly man—his face tattooed as a mark of retirement from service—appeared before them and snatched away the meal they had been eating. The two princes,

“We don’t begrudge losing that, but what manner of man are you?” the two princes rebuked. “I’m the boar keeper who tends His Majesty’s game in Yamashiro,” declared the rogue old man. The princes then crossed the Kusuba River in Kawachi and fled all the way to Harima. Concealing their noble status, they became servants in the household of one Shijimu, sustaining themselves through the humble work of tending oxen and horses.

The Dragonfly Song

I

Prince Ōhatsuse soon ascended the throne as Emperor Yūryaku and relocated to Asakura Palace in Yamato. For the Empress, he established Wakusaka-no-Ō, the younger sister of the aforementioned Ōkusaka-no-Ō. There was a time when that Wakusaka-no-Ō was still residing in a place called Hirakata in Kawachi, and one day the Emperor took a shortcut from Yamato, crossed the Naokoshi Pass in Hirakata, and came to visit her.

At that time, when the Emperor surveyed the surrounding villages from atop the mountain, there was a single house in the distance with a katsuogi attached to its roof. A katsuogi is a roof ornament shaped like a bonito, which should only be attached to the Emperor’s palace or a deity’s shrine. The Emperor saw this and,

“Whose house is that?” he inquired.

“That belongs to the Ōagatanushi of Shiki,” the attendant respectfully answered. The Emperor raged, “Impudent wretch! You’ve constructed your house in imitation of my palace,”

“Go and burn that house to the ground,” he commanded, and immediately dispatched his men.

Then, Ōagatanushi was utterly terrified. “It was truly due to our foolishness—we knew nothing of such matters and carelessly constructed it,” he said, shrinking back as he offered his apology. And as a token of apology, they dressed a white dog in cloth, adorned it with bell decorations, had a family member named Koshihai lead it by a rope, and presented it humbly to the Emperor.

Therefore, the Emperor permitted only the burning and purification of their house to be carried out, and then proceeded directly to Wakusaka-no-Ō’s residence.

The Emperor, with his attendants, declared, “This is a dog I have just acquired on the way. Since it is a rare thing, I shall present it as a gift,” and presented the white dog to Wakusaka-no-Ō. However, Wakusaka-no-Ō responded through intermediaries: “Today, the Emperor has come with the honorable sun upon his back. Given this, I am overwhelmed with awe before the honorable sun, and thus cannot meet with you today. In due time, I shall promptly present myself and humbly serve at the palace.”

Having said this, she politely declined. On his return journey, the Emperor stood atop a mountain, composed a poem yearning for Wakusaka-no-Ō, and sent it to her. The Prince then soon arrived at the palace.

II

One time, the Emperor ventured forth to the banks of the Miwa River in Yamato. Then, a young woman was washing clothes in that river. She was truly a beautiful, lovely girl. The Emperor, “Whose child are you?” he inquired. The girl replied, “My name is Akai-ko of Inada.” The Emperor declared, “Then wait here, for I shall summon you to my palace in due time,” and with that, he passed on by.

Akai-ko was overjoyed and, without marrying anyone, devotedly waited for her summons to serve. However, even after decades had passed, no summons ever came from the imperial court. Before long, she became a wretched old woman. Akai-ko, "Now I could no longer go serve at the palace. However, I at least wanted to come and report that I had waited for the summons with all my might until I became like this."

Having thought this, one day she took various birds, fish, and vegetables as gifts and visited the palace. Then Emperor Yūryaku,

“What old woman are you? For what reason have you come?” he inquired. Akai-ko replied, “I am one who humbly received Your Majesty’s command in such-and-such year and such-and-such month. I have waited for Your Majesty’s summons until this very day, spending decades upon decades. Now that I have become such an old woman, I am of course no longer fit to serve, but I wished solely to convey that I had obeyed Your Majesty’s command to the very end—which is why I have made this special visit.”

The Emperor was astonished upon hearing this.

“I had long since forgotten about that matter. “Oh, this is... this is inexcusable of me. How pitiful,” he said. He composed two poems, through which he praised Akai-ko’s unwavering honesty and profoundly lamented that she had spent her entire life unmarried for his sake. Upon hearing those songs, Akai-ko could no longer contain herself and burst into tears. Her tears left the sleeves of her crimson-dyed robe thoroughly sodden. Weeping as she sang,

“Ahhh... Who shall I cling to now to keep living?” “The young women glow proudly like lotus blossoms in Kusaka’s inlet.” “If only I still possessed such youth—then I might have been summoned swiftly to serve at the palace...” she answered with these words. The Emperor bestowed many gifts upon her and sent her back home unchanged.

III

Another time, the Emperor went to hunt in a field called Agizuno in Yamato. As he sat upon his stool in the hunting grounds, a horsefly flew over and bit his arm. Then a dragonfly appeared, swiftly devoured that horsefly, and flew away.

The Emperor observed this and was greatly delighted. He composed a poem praising this occurrence: "It must be because there exist insects that regard their sovereign thus—this very reason our land bears the name Akitsu Island." In ancient times, dragonflies were called "akitsu".

On another occasion following that, he ascended Mount Katsuragi in Yamato. Then, suddenly, a large wild boar burst forth. The Emperor swiftly nocked a whistling arrow and, without missing his mark, let it fly with a shrill whistle. At this, the beast flew into a terrifying rage and charged forward with guttural roars as it lunged. Even His Majesty could not withstand this onslaught—he scrambled up a nearby Japanese alder tree in desperate haste, thereby narrowly escaping mortal peril.

The Emperor was atop that Japanese alder tree, “Ah, thanks to this tree, I escaped with my life. How grateful, how grateful I am,” he declared, composing a poem to express his sentiment. IV

After that, the Emperor once again ascended Mount Katsuragi. At that time, all the attendants had received and were wearing blue-trimmed formal garments with red cords attached. Then, he noticed a splendid person climbing the opposite mountain. That person’s attendants were also all wearing blue-trimmed garments with red cords, so that to anyone who saw them, there was not the slightest difference from the Emperor’s procession.

The Emperor was astonished and immediately dispatched an envoy,

“In Japan, there should be no two Emperors besides me. And yet, you who proceed with the same entourage as I—who in the world are you?” he demanded harshly. Then from the other side came a mirrored challenge in kind.

The Emperor snarled with rage and was first to draw an arrow from his quiver and nock it. His attendants too all nocked their arrows simultaneously without exception. Then, refusing to be outdone, the opposing retinue uniformly nocked their arrows in perfect unison. The Emperor,

“Now then, declare your name. Let us exchange names before loosing our arrows,” he declared.

From the other side,

“Then I shall reveal my name as well.” “I am Hitokotonushi-no-Kami of Mount Katsuragi, who delivers but a single oracle for both ill deeds and good,” came the reply. When the Emperor heard this, he was astonished, “Oh, this is most awe-inspiring! I never imagined the Great Deity would manifest in divine form,” he declared, then hastily had his retinue remove their long swords and bows and arrows, along with all their blue-trimmed garments, and prostrated themselves to offer them up to the Great Deity.

Then the Great Deity clapped his hands in delight and accepted all of those offerings in their entirety. Then, when the Emperor was returning to the palace, the Great Deity went out of his way to descend from the mountain and saw him off as far as the mountain pass of the distant Hase.

V

On another occasion following that, the Emperor held a sake banquet beneath the great zelkova tree called Momoetsuki in Hase. At that moment, a court lady named Mie no Uneme from Ise offered a sake cup to the Emperor and poured the drink. Then, by ill fortune, a zelkova leaf fell into that sake cup. The court lady remained unaware and continued pouring steadily. When the Emperor suddenly noticed the leaf in his cup, he immediately erupted in anger—abruptly seizing the court lady, pinning her down, drawing his long sword, and preparing to behead her.

The court lady,

“Agh!” she cried, shrinking back in fear. “I beg you to spare my life. “I have something to say,” she said while singing a long song that carried the following meaning: “This palace is one where both morning sun and evening sun shine brightly—a splendid, radiant palace. Built upon firm foundations, it stands as a sturdy grand palace. Outside towers a great zelkova tree. The upper boughs of that mighty tree veil the heavens. Middle branches cast shadows over eastern lands while lower limbs blanket regions beyond. Leaves from topmost twigs fall to catch on middle boughs; those from middle boughs spill upon lower branches. The lower branches’ leaves drifted down to float within the sake cup this humble maid offered.”

"When you behold this, it recalls those ancient times when heaven and earth first formed - when this world floated like oil adrift upon the void, remembered from creation's dawn. It closely mirrors how the gods shaped these islands of Japan and set them afloat at the vast sea's heart. In truth, this is both sacred and auspicious. This shall surely be recounted through all ages to come."

The court lady, having said this, drew on age-old legends and sang out in an engaging manner. Due to this song, the Emperor graciously pardoned Uneme’s crime. Then the Empress too was greatly delighted, “In the high places of Takaichi District of Yamato, a lushly grown broad-leaved camellia blooms. Now, just as those camellia leaves are large and broad, and just as its flowers are beautiful and gentle, His Majesty the Emperor, with a heart as magnanimous as those leaves and as beautiful and kind as those flowers, has graciously pardoned this court lady. Now, pour sake for His Majesty the Emperor. This divine mercy shall surely be recounted by all people for generations to come,” sang Her Majesty in a song carrying this meaning.

Following this, the Emperor too joyfully sang a song, and all together held a boisterous sake feast.

Uneme was not only pardoned for her crime but also received various bestowed gifts, rejoicing with great delight.

The Emperor finally passed away at the venerable age of 124.

cow herder, horse herder

I

After Emperor Yūryaku, his son Emperor Seinei ascended to the throne. The Emperor never took an Empress unto the end and had not a single child. Thus when the Emperor passed away, with none to succeed him, all were greatly perplexed and earnestly searched for one of imperial blood from previous sovereigns.

Then, Princess Oshinumi no Iratsume—the younger sister of Prince Oshiha, who had been slain by Prince Ōhatsuse—also known as Princess Iitoyo, arrived at Katsusaki Palace in Katsuragi, Yamato. Therefore, they had this noble lady temporarily assume governance. Everyone remained completely unaware that the two sons of Prince Oshiha—Oke and Woke—were alive and well in Harima Province, working as cow herders and horse herders.

Not long after that, a man named Yamabe no Muraji Kotate was appointed as provincial governor and went to Harima Province. Then, a man named Shijimu in that region held a sake feast at his newly built house. At that time, starting with Kotate, the invited guests also took turns standing up to dance as the sake was passed around. Finally, they even told the two hearth-tending siblings—children who had been keeping the fire by the hearth—to dance.

Then the younger brother turned to the older brother and said, "You dance first." The older brother said to the younger brother, "You dance first." Everyone found it amusing how those lowly servant children were pretentiously deferring to each other like proper people and roared with laughter. In the end, it was the older brother who danced first. As the younger brother was about to begin his dance afterward, he first sang a song in a loud voice like the following, revealing their true circumstances as siblings.

“A manly, large man—attaching red ornaments to his long sword’s hilt and red cloth strips to its scabbard—made for a truly eye-catching figure,” he began his song, drawing out the word “bamboo thicket” before continuing: “Yet should he enter deep into that thickly overgrown bamboo thicket, he becomes hidden and invisible to the eye.” “Such large bamboo from that thicket was split, arranged, and crafted into an eight-stringed koto—its tuning stood impeccably harmonious, leaving nothing to be desired.” “Emperor Richū, five generations before now, ruled the realm with utmost excellence, exactly like the harmonious tones of that koto.” “To that sovereign’s royal child belonged a prince called Oshiha.” “O people all—we two are the children of that Prince Oshiha!” he sang.

When Kotate heard this, he was so startled that he tumbled from the floorboards. In a flustered panic, he hastily expelled everyone present, then—having unexpectedly discovered Princes Oke and Woke—gathered them onto his knees while reflecting on their hardships endured until this day, tears streaming down as he wept. Kotate then hurriedly gathered everyone, built a provisional palace, and reverently escorted Their Highnesses inside it. He immediately dispatched a swift horse messenger to Yamato to report to Her Highness Princess Iitoyo. When Princess Iitoyo heard this, she was overjoyed and promptly summoned the two princes.

II

The two princes gradually came of age at Katsusaki Palace.

One day, Prince Woke attended a song-gathering—an event where men and women gathered in great numbers to exchange verses. At that time, Ōuo—a beautiful woman who was the daughter of Uda no Obito and whom the prince had long intended to wed—had also come to be present. Now around that time, Shibi no Omi—a retainer who wielded fearsome influence among the courtiers—took Ōuo’s hand while taunting Prince Woke,

“Oh, how absurd, how absurd! The palace roof has warped,” he began to sing, directing the song’s conclusion toward the Prince. The Prince promptly accepted it, “That’s because the carpenter is incompetent—that’s why it warped,” sang the Prince. Then Shibi pressed further, “Nay! However urgently you rush, Prince, you shall not enter the eightfold brushwood fence I’ve tightly woven. You shall not come between Ōuo and me!” he proclaimed. The prince immediately,

“In the tidal currents above, where waves rage, a shibi swims,” he sang. “Beside the shibi clings the shibi’s wife. You foolish shibi!” At this, Shibi no Omi flushed with anger. “That brushwood fence you speak of—no matter how tightly woven, I’ll slash through it before your eyes! I’ll burn it all down and show you!” he retorted. The prince stood unwavering. “Ahaha, Shibi! You’re but a fish,” he chanted. “Strut as you may—you’ll never withstand the fishermen coming to spear you. How pitiful, to dwell in such fear!”

The prince finally withdrew after competing in song until dawn broke. And as soon as he returned to the palace, he consulted with his elder brother Prince Oke. "Shibi has grown arrogant on his own and tramples upon us as if we were nothing," he said. "Even those who serve at our palace come in the morning, but after that spend the entire day gathered at Shibi's house fawning over him. Such a man must be swiftly eliminated for the sake of the future. Shibi must be exhausted and fallen asleep by now. There seem to be no guards at the gate - now is the time to strike," they resolved together. Immediately gathering troops, they surrounded Shibi's residence and effortlessly cut down their target, thereby putting an end to him.

Three The two princes were now sufficiently mature in age and fully capable of governing the realm independently. By order of precedence, it was proper that the elder brother, Prince Oke, should first ascend to the throne. However, Prince Oke turned to his younger brother and said, “When we were in Shijimu, had you not declared our names, we would have remained buried there forever. That we stand here now is entirely your doing. Though I was born your elder brother, I implore you to govern the realm first.” Prince Woke persistently refused this offer, but when his elder brother remained unyielding, he finally had no choice but to assume the throne before him. He who would later be known as Emperor Kenzō was none other than this sovereign.

The Emperor moved to Chikatsu-Asuka Palace in Yamato together with this and welcomed as Empress the one called Prince Naniwa, child of Lord Ishiki. The Emperor resolved to search for the honorable remains of his father Prince Oshiha and undertook various hardships. Then from Ōmi came a lowly old woman who said: "The place where I buried the Prince's bones is something I know well. With all due respect, the Prince had teeth overlapping like lily roots. If Your Majesty were to look upon those teeth, you would immediately recognize them as the Prince's bones."

The Emperor promptly went down to Kayanuno in Ōmi, commanded the local people to dig at the spot indicated by the old woman, and indeed discovered his father’s honorable remains. Therefore, he constructed a tomb in the eastern mountains of Kayanuno and conducted the burial, then appointed as tomb guardians the descendants of that Karafukuro who had once recommended hunting to his father.

After returning to the palace, the Emperor summoned the old woman and praised her: "You kept faithful watch over that vital place." He bestowed upon her the name Okime the Old Woman. For a time, he kept her at court and entertained her cordially. Afterwards, he had her reside in a village near the palace, summoning her daily to his side to speak kind words. For this purpose, he specially hung a large bell at the palace entrance, ringing it whenever he summoned Okime.

Later, Okime—

“As I have grown quite old, I have come to wish to return to the village where I was born,” she humbly requested. The Emperor granted Okime’s request, and while composing a farewell song whose meaning conveyed “Does this mean I shall no longer see you from tomorrow onward?”, he deigned to personally see her off. Next, the Emperor sought out that old boar keeper who had stolen their lunch long ago when he and his elder brother were fleeing Yamato, and carried out his execution at the Asuka River bank in Yamato. That wicked old man had been living in a place called Shimesu. The Emperor, as a further punishment beyond this, deigned to have the knee tendons of that old man’s clan members severed. These individuals, whenever they came up to Yamato thereafter, always emerged limping.

Four The Emperor deeply resented Emperor Yūryaku who had slain his father, and driven by his resolve to at least take vengeance upon his spirit, dispatched men to destroy the imperial tomb located in Tajihi of Kawachi Province.

Then his elder brother Prince Oke, "If it is to destroy the Emperor’s tomb, you must not send anyone else." "I shall go myself and destroy it exactly as Your Majesty intends," he humbly proposed. The Emperor,

"Then you may go," the Emperor permitted. Prince Oke hurriedly departed. And before long, he returned,

“I have properly destroyed it,” he said.

However, as his return was far too swift, the Emperor deemed this strange, “In what manner did you carry out the destruction?” he inquired. Then his elder brother,

"In truth, I have turned over but a small amount of soil from the tomb," he answered. The Emperor heard this and said, "And what might be the reason for that? In avenging our father, merely digging up some soil and returning—does this not leave you unsatisfied? Why did you not completely destroy the tomb and return?" The elder brother replied,

“Your Majesty’s command is indeed reasonable. “However, though he remains our father’s enemy, he is both our uncle and one who held the august position of Emperor. “Were we to destroy the tomb of an Emperor—considering him solely through the lens of vengeance—we would inevitably face condemnation from generations yet unborn. “Yet since vengeance must be fulfilled utterly, I have brought back this soil as its token. “Having inflicted shame of this measure, none in later ages should dare reproach us.”

Having said this, he explained his reasoning. Then the Emperor too,

“Indeed, that is reasonable. What you have done is satisfactory,” he said with satisfaction.

The Emperor ruled the realm for eight years and passed away at the age of thirty-eight. The Emperor did not have a single child. Therefore, his elder brother Prince Oke ascended the throne as Emperor Ninken.

The Emperor relocated to the Isonokami no Hirotaka Palace in Yamato and appointed Kasuga no Ōiratsume, a child of Emperor Yūryaku, as Empress.

Following the Emperor, Prince Ohatsuse no Wakasazaki no Mikoto ascended to the throne as Emperor Buretsu. After him, the Emperors Keitai, Ankan, Senka, Kinmei, Bidatsu, Yōmei, Sushun, and Suiko ascended to the throne one after another.