• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Prince
  • Family: Ohōmata (father) Unakami (brother)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Aketatsu

Aketatsu (曙立王) was the son of Ohōmata. He is said to have been the ancestor of the Homujibe no kimi and the Ise no Sana no miyatsuko.

We see him later mentioned in the kojiki during the reign of Emperor Suinin. He was sent with Homutsuwake to pray at the shrine of Ōkuninushi in the hopes of getting Prince Homutsuwake to learn to speak.

Aketatsu swore a sacred oath ‘if there is an answer to be found in adoring this kami, then let the heron I see on Sagisu no ike fall dead.’ And the heron then died.

In reply to this he said ‘by this oath live’ and the heron came back to life. By his oath he then made wither and come back to life an oak upon Cape Amakashi (Amakashi no saki)

And so he was given the name of Yamatooyushikitomitomitoyoasakuraaketatsu.

They also leave with Aketatsu’s brother Unakami leaving Nara through the Ki Gate, as leaving through the Nara Gate or Ohosaka Gate would have caused them to meet a lame or blind person which was bad luck. On their journey everyone they pass they give the name of Homujibe.¹²

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Chamberlain, B. H. (1932) “Translation of the Kojiki.” Kobe: J.L. Thompson & Co.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Aketatsu appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.