Nakatomi no Omimaro

Nakatomi no Omimaro (中臣 意美麻呂) was a member of the Nakatomi Clan and nephew to Nakatomi no Kamatari. He died in 711AD.

When his uncle founded the Fujiwara Clan, Omimaro kept the Nakatomi name going, later becoming Head of the National Shrines of Ise.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• • Affiliation: Shinto
  • Kami of: ?
  • Family: Susano-o (husband) Ōyamatsumi (father) Ashinadzuchi (brother?) Kushinadahime (niece?)

Kamu Ōichihime

Kamu Ōichihime (神大市比売 – Lady Sacred Great Market) is mentioned in the text of the Kojiki as the second wife of Susano-o. Potentially by tracing the family tree, she would be the aunt of Kushinadahime, who was the first wife of Susano-o; as her father was Ōyamatsumi, meaning her brother could have been Ashinadzuchi.

As the second wife of Susano-o she gave birth to the kami Ōtoshi and Ukanomitama.

The Engi Rites mention shrines to her in Ise, and she has ties to mountains, seas and field which suggest how markets can be useful to bring all these different areas together.¹

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• Period: Heian Period
• Occupation: Waka Poet, Hereditary High Official, Nashitsubo no Gonin
• Family: Ōnakatomi no Yorimoto
• Birth: 921AD
• Death: 991AD

Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu

Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (大中臣 能宣) was a Heian Period poet, as well as holding the position of Hereditary High Official of the Department of Religious Affairs.¹ Additionally, he was a Shinto Priest and was the head of the Priests of Ise.³ Living from 921-991AD he was the son of Ōnakatomi no Yorimoto. Yoshinobu was appointed a member of the Yoryūdo (Bureau of Poetry) in 951⁴ and as part of it he took part in transcribing the Man’yōshū,¹ and as one of the Nashitsubo no Gonin he helped in the compilation of the Gosenshū.³

Overall, we can find 126 poems of his in Imperial Waka Anthologies,¹ including the Shūishū and he has a large private collection of poetry known as the Yoshinobu-shū.³

He was listed as one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses and one of his poems (No.49) can be found in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and goes as follows:¹

Footnotes

1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.
3. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
4. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

Nashitsubo no Gonin
Ki no Tokibumi * Kiyohara no Motosuke * Minamoto no Shitagō * Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu * Sakanoue no Mochiki

Thirty Six Poetic Geniuses
Lady Ise * Yamabe no Akahito * Ariwara no Narihira * Ki no Tomonori * Sarumaru Taifu * Ono no Komachi * Fujiwara no Kanesuke * Fujiwara no Atsutada * Fujiwara no Toshiyuki * Minamoto no Muneyuki * Minamoto no Shitagō * Kiyohara no Motosuke * Sakanoue no Korenori * Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu * Fujiwara no Okikaze * Fujiwara no Asatada

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Hear about the Sacred Regalia on Episode 49 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• See also: Divine Treasures

  

Sacred Regalia

The Sacred Regalia (三種の神器) are the three Sacred Items of the Imperial Throne, consisting of the Sword Kusanagi (草薙劍), the Jewel Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉) and the Mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡).

The Sacred Regalia is known to have been given by Amaterasu to her grandson Ninigi upon his descent to Earth.¹

Yata no Kagami – Mirror

Creation

The mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡) was initially made by the kami Ishikoridome as one of the items used to try and coax Amaterasu out of the Rock Cave when she fled into it, this is related in the kojiki and nihongi. There is one alternate writing of the nihongi where the kami Amenonukado instead created this mirror, and that it was then placed inside of the cave where it his the door gaining a flaw which remains to this day.²

Reign of Emperor Sujin

According to a tale from the Jinnō Shōtōki, in the 6th year of his reign he summoned the kami Ishikoridome to create a new Sacred Mirror. It was made in Uda, Yamato.

The replica is placed in his hall for divine protection. The original being entrusted to Toyosukiiribime who built a sacred enclosure in Kasanui in Yamato to worship them in.

Later Toyosukiiribime was instructed by Amaterasu to journey the provinces with the Sword and Mirror.³

Reign of Emperor Suinin

After a site is chosen for the Ise Grand Shrine it is said the Emperor placed the Sword into the Naiku Shrine with the Mirror.⁴ The Jinnō Shōtōki differs slightly saying it was Yamatohime who placed them inside the shrine.³

Kusanagi – Sword

Discovery

The sword Kusanagi (Grass Mower¹) (Nihongi, Mura-kumo ‘Assembled Clouds’¹) was discoverd by Susano-o inside the Dragon Yamata no Orochi.

Susano-o comes across the grieving parents of Kushinadahime as every year the Dragon Yamata no Orochi comes to take one of their children; Kushinadahime was to be the next. Susano-o says he will help them if they would give her to him in marriage and they agreed. (The story differs a little depending on the version of the Nihongi read). He instructs them to brew sake and when the Dragon appears it drinks the sake and falls down drunk. Susano-o then takes the opportunity to cut the dragon into pieces, killing it. When he is cutting up the tail, his blade became stuck and so opening up the tail to see why, he finds Kusanagi inside. The sword is then gifted up to Heaven by Susano-o (or by Ama no Fukine  in another version)²

Different versions of the tale, give different names to the sword Susano-o used to slay the Dragon, these being Ama no Hayekiri, Orochi no Karasabi and Orochi no Aramasa.²

Reign of Emperor Sujin

Like the tale above for the Mirror, according to a tale from the Jinnō Shōtōki, in the 6th year of his reign he summoned a desendant of Amenomahitotsu to make a new Sacred Sword. This was also made in Uda, Yamato.

The replica was placed in his hall for divine protection. The original being entrusted to Toyosukiiribime who built a sacred enclosure in Kasanui in Yamato to worship them in.

Later Toyosukiiribime was instructed by Amaterasu to journey the provinces with the Sword and Mirror.³

Reign of Emperor Suinin

As mentioned for the Sword above. After a site is chosen for the Ise Grand Shrine it is said the Emperor placed the Mirror into the Naiku Shrine with the Sword.⁴ The Jinnō Shōtōki differs slightly saying it was Yamatohime who placed them inside the shrine.³

Exploits of Yamato Takeru

Later, it was bestowed onto Yamato Takeru by his aunt Yamato Hime when he is sent to subjugate the Emishi. When he reaches Sagami Province he used the sword to escape a grass fire lit by a chieftain, using it to mow down the grass around him. He returns to his wife, leaving the sword behind when he goes to complete one more exploit.²

An alternative reading of the nihongi states the event with the grass fire is the reason why Murokumo was renamed to Kusanagi.²

Footnotes

1. Littleton. C.S. (1995) “Yamato-takeru: An Arthurian Hero in Japanese Tradition”. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 54, No.2, pp.259-274.
2. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
3. Varley, H.P (1980) “A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa.” New York: Columbia University Press.
4. Ponsonby, F. (1959) “The Imperial House of Japan.” Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.

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