So this episode we see the descent of the Divine Descendant, but surprisingly it isn’t Oshihomimi, for all the setup in the previous stories. No, this is the Heavenly Prince Hiko Hono-Ninigi no Mikoto. Ninigi is the Heavenly Grandchild, descendant of not just Amaterasu but also of Takami Musubi, and he is the ancestor of the royal line of Yamato sovereigns—though not, curiously, considered the first sovereign himself. That would be reserved for a later descendant known in the 8th century as Jimmu.

Ame no Uzume confronting Saruta Hiko at the crossroads between Heaven and Earth. Photo in the public domain per Wikimedia Commons.

Of course before he descends he does have to deal with one small inconvenience in the form of Saruta Hiko, a tall, shining deity with a long nose, red eyes, and a curious light that shone out all over. He was confronted and discovered by Ame no Uzume, the dancing goddess who had lured Amaterasu out of her cave. Together, they end up in Ise, and today they reside together at Tsubaki Grand Shrine, north of the famous Ise Shrine. They were also considered the ancestors of the Sarume clan, the lords of whom were women, and whose dances, or kagura, are still performed in shrines throughout Japan.

Entrance to the main shrine of Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. Photo by author.

And if you can’t go all the way to Japan, you can still visit them in North America outside of Seattle Washington at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. Here, in a lovely area of woods, water, and mountains you can discover the sacred kami who helped guide Ninigi down to earth and Ame no Uzume, who became his attendant after she had discovered him. If you want to learn more you can follow them on Facebook and Social Media. The shrine is open to anyone and I highly encourage people to visit. The location is incredibly serene, and they also teach Aikido, an art that is likewise connected to Saruta Hiko through its founder, Ueshiba Morihei.

Western Japan to Southern Kyushu, showing the approximate locations of the provinces of Ise, Yamato, Izumo, and Himuka.

After meeting with Saruta Hiko, Ninigi and his crew all head down to earth. But they don’t end up in Yamato or Izumo, where one would expect. Rather, they find themselves in Himuka—modern Miyazaki Province—and settle in southern Kyushu. Interestingly, this is the home of the Kumaso and the Hayato people. The Kumaso were eventually defeated, and the Hayato, who may or may not be related, were considered an independent people, much as were the Emishi of the northeast. Even by the 8th century they are still considered a separate ethnic group, even though we have yet to find a significant genetic difference between the people of Southern Kyushu and the rest of the archipelago, while the people of northeastern Japan appear to have remained more closely related to their Jomon forebears.

Cherry blossoms—sakura no hana—in bloom. Photo by author.

And of course, there, in Kasasa Bay, near the Ata chiefdom, is where he sets up his palace and eventually married the lady Konohana Sakuya Hime. But of course, even back then, the life of a blossoming flower was ephemeral, and such a marriage would have consequences ever after, echoing through history.

References

Saruta Hiko Ōkami. Work in the Public Domain per Wikimedia Commons

Ō, Yasumaro, & Heldt, G. (2014). The Kojiki: An account of ancient matters. ISBN978-0-231-16389-7
Aoki, Michiko Yamaguchi (1997). Izumo Fudoki. Association for Asian Studies. Published by the Japanese Historical Text Initiative of the University of California at Berkeley at https://jhti.berkeley.edu/NIJL%20gateway.html
Matsumae, Takeshi (1983). The Myth of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandson. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 42. https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/1211
Chamberlain, B. H. (1981). The Kojiki: Records of ancient matters. Rutland, Vt: C.E. Tuttle Co. ISBN4-8053-0794-3
Aston, W. G. (1972). Nihongi, chronicles of Japan from the earliest times to A.D. 697. London: Allen & Unwin. ISBN0-80480984-4
Philippi, D. L. (1968). Kojiki. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN4-13-087004-1