The legendary first Emperor of Japan, recorded in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki as a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. According to tradition, he led an eastern expedition (Jinmu Tōsei) from Hyūga, passing through Kumano and Yoshino before entering Yamato Province (modern Nara) and ascending the throne at Kashihara. His reign is said to have lasted 76 years, and all subsequent emperors are considered his direct descendants. Japan's National Foundation Day (February 11) commemorates his accession. While historians debate his historicity, he remains a profound symbol of Japanese national identity. Kashihara Jingū in Nara stands near the site traditionally associated with his enthronement. His eastward campaign is said to have embodied the founding ideal of hakko ichiu—uniting the world as one family—regarded as the moral origin of the Japanese spirit.
Jinmu's Eastern Expedition — The Founding Myth of Japan's First Emperor
Emperor Jinmu is said in tradition to have set out from Hyuga (present-day Miyazaki Prefecture) and launched an eastern expedition toward Yamato (present-day Nara Prefecture). After battles at various locations, he pacified Yamato and ascended the throne in 660 BC as Japan's first Emperor. This legend of the eastern expedition, recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, is the origin myth of the Japanese state and the source of National Foundation Day (February 11).
The Ama-no-Iwato Myth — Amaterasu and the Supreme Deity of Japanese Mythology
Amaterasu is best known for the myth in which, enraged by Susanoo's violent behavior, she hid in the Ama-no-Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave), plunging the world into darkness. The eight million deities held a festival before the cave, and curiosity drew her out, restoring light to the world. As the chief deity of Ise Shrine and the divine ancestor of the imperial family, she is venerated as the supreme deity at the center of Japanese religion and culture.
Emperor Suizei, Second Emperor — Successor of the Imperial Line from the First Emperor
Emperor Suizei is said to be a son of Emperor Jinmu, succeeding as the second Emperor. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he killed his older brother Tagishimimimi and inherited the throne. The 2nd through 9th Emperors are collectively called the 'Eight Missing-Record Emperors,' with sparse detailed records and various scholarly views on their historical existence. They form an important part of the myths and traditions about how Japan's imperial succession was maintained.