All messengers having failed, the next selection was carefully made in the Plain of High Heaven. This time Take Mikazachi no Kami (Valiant Lightning Male God) and Futsunushi no Kami (Snapping-Sound Master God) were sent down.

The two Gods landed on the beach of Izumo Province (Shimane Prefecture), where they pulled out a sword ten hands long, and stood it upside down. Sitting cross-legged on the tip of the sword, they negotiated with Ohkuninushi no Kami (Great Mastar Deity of the Land) to see if he would yield his land to Sume Mima no Mikoto, the Heavenly Imperial Grandchild of Amaterasu Ohmikami. Ohkuninushi no Kami (Great Mastar Deity of the Land) answered that he would consult with his son Kotoshironushi no Kami (Deity Who Understands Things), who accepted without dissent. The two messenger Gods returned to the Plain of High Heaven to report this.

All this took some years, so when the time came, it was not Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto (Heavenly Great August Deity) but his son Amatsuhiko Hikoho no Ninigi no Mikoto (Lad of the Peaceful Rice-Stalks Deity) who descended. He was the grandchild of Amaterasu Ohmikami, so he is called Sume Mima no Mikoto, the Heavenly Grandchild.

At the time of this descent, Amaterasu Ohmikami presented to him the three imperial regalia. They were the Curved Jewel of Yasaka Gem, the Eight Had Mirror, the Sword o the Gathering Clouds of Heaven. The attending Gods were,: Ama no Koyane no Mikoto (Heavenly Small-House Deity), the ancestor of the Nakatomi Clan; Futotama no Mikoto (Grand Jewel Deity), the ancestor of the Imube Clan; Ama no Uzume no Mikoto (Heavenly Crowned Female Deity), the ancestor of the Sarume women; Ishikori Tome no Mikoto (Stone-Cutting Female Deity), the ancestor of the Mirror Makers, and Tamanoya no Mikoto (Jewel Ancestor Deity), the ancestor of the Jade Makers. Then Amaterasu Ohmikami gave a decree, blessing teir future and promising everlasting gloy:

"This Reed-Plain-1500-Autumns-Fair-Rice-Ear Land is the region which my descendants shall be lords of. Do thou, my August Grandchild, procced thither and govern it. Go! and may prosperity attend thy dynasty, and may it, like Heaven and Earth, endure forever."

The scene of the descent is recorded in Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) as follows:

"Thereupon the August Gtandchild, leaving the Heavenly rock-seat, and thrusting apart the eight-piled clouds of Heaven, clove his way with an awful way-cleaving, and descended from Heaven. Finally, as had been arranged, the August Grandchild arrived at the peak of Kushifuru of Takachiho in Hiuga."

This Ninigi no Mikoto (Heavenly Grandchild) had two song, Ho no Susori no Mikoto (Fire Raging Lord Deity) and Hiko Hohodemi no Mikoto (Sun-Child Stalk-Hand Deity). A quarrel occurred between the two brother. The elder brother had a talent for fishing, and the younger brother, a talent for hunting. One day they decided to exchange their talents. The elder borrowed the bow and arrows and went to the mountain, and the younger borrowed the fishing hook and went to the sea. Neither caught anything. The bow and arrows were returned, but the fishing hook was lost in the sea so the younger brother could not return it, and a new hook was not acceptable. Distressed, the younger brother returned again to the beach, to look.

An elderly man Shiozutsu ni Oji (Salt Sea Elder) appeared, who wove a basket without interstices, and sent the younger brother down to the sea. The young God reached the bottom, went to the Palace of the Sea God.

As he was resting by the tree in front of the gate, a beautiful maiden appeared to fetch water from the well outside the gate. She was stunned to see a handsome young man's face reflected on the surface of the water. She looked up and saw the young God. She reported to her parents, and entire Palace welcomed him.

Hearing of the trouble he was in, they said,
"That is no trouble. We will summon all the fishes and enquire."
The fishes knew nothing, but the red snapper was absent because of a sore mouth. The red snapper was summoned, and the fishing hook was found in its mouth. It was returned to the young God.

The God married the princess of the Sea God, Toyotama Hime (Rich Jewel Princess), and spent three years in the Palace at the bottom of the sea. When the time came for him to depart, the Sea God presented to him two jewels, the jewel of the flowing tide and the jewel of the ebbing tide.

The elder brother, being ill-natured, would not accept the fishing hook which the younger brother brought back. So the younger brother dipped the jewel of the flowing tide into the seawater. The water rose and nearly drowned the elder brother, so he repented and spologized. Seeing this, the younger brother dipped the jewel of the ebbing tide and the water subsided, so the elder brother was saved.

The younger brother Hiko Hohodemi no Mikoto (Sun-Child Stalk-Hand Deity) had a son who was called Ugaya Fukiaezu no Mikoto (Cormorant Thatch Incompletely Thatched Deity), and his son was Kamu Yamato Iwarehiko no Mikoto (Divine Yamato Iware-Lad Lord), who is Emperor Jinmu.

This has been the outline of the mythical events the Age of the Gods, before the reign of Emperor Jinmu. Recod of Ancient Matters (Kojiki) and Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) differ in detail. Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) rather respectfully lists the varied legends as: "One book says." But the main thesis has not changed.

Characteristically, the Japanese myth presents the view that the Gods gave birth to the islands of Japan, just as they gave birth to the Japanese people. The ancient Japanese people regarded nature and the land not as separate entities. They felt that nature, the land and the people had been all created by the Gods. It was as thouth the three were related by blood, so in no small measure they felt close to their natural surroundings. The familiarity they felt towards the mountains, rivers, natural phenomana, animals and plants had much influence in cultivating the Japanese national temperament, which is gentle and warm.

The other characteristic of the myth is that tales of misery, brutality and evil are few in number, while there are many tales that are cheerful and funny. As stated before, in other myths, man developed from monsters, were born out of sin, and o on. Some of their episodes are immoral, involving massacre and adultery. But in the Japanese myths very few are gloomy. Recall Ohkuninushi no Kami (Great Master Deity og the Land) and the white rabbit of Inaba, or that of Hiko Hohodemi no Mikoto (Sun-Child Stalk-Hand Deity) and the Red Snapper; these are dilightful and hilarious stories.

The most solemn and glorious part of the myth is the descent of Ninigi no Mikoto, the Heavenly Grandchild, at which time Amaterasu Ohmikami presented to him her Eternal Decree and the three imperial regalia. Her words "May thy dynasty, like Heaven and Earth, endure forever" mean that the direct descendants of Ninigi no Mikoto (Heavenly Grandchild) "succeed to the imperial throne and rule Japan, and bearing and glory and grave responsibility, they will prosper forever." This is the decree and the pledge of Amaterasu Ohmikami.

The Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Here, "testament" means promise; in other words, the Bible is the record of the promises made between God and man. In Japan, the Eternal Decree of Amaterasu Ohmikami was such a promise, and it has been handed down for many generations.

The integration of the people and the attainmaent of harmony of all classes was made possible by the founding of the nation. It must have required mach toil and suffering on the part of Emperor Jinmu, the founder. But his ultimate success shows that he possessed an irrepressable will, and moral influence that commanded and won the heats of the people. The same character must have been present in the Gods, beginning with Amaterasu Ohmikami from whom he descended. Myth is by no means historical truth; but when reflected in this manner, it has profound meaning.
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