learn/[id]

時代
19 分で読める
日
ERA
The Legend of Yamato Takeru: Hero Mythology of Atsuta Shrine and the Eastern/Western Campaigns
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto was an ancient hero-deity, son of Emperor Keiko, who undertook campaigns against the Kumaso and Emishi. This article examines his legend — the Kusanagi sword, the white bird myth, and his connection to Atsuta Shrine — based on the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
武
Author
Taketoki
| Samurai History
Contents
MOKUJI
一
The Origins of Yamato Takeru: Son of Emperor Keiko
›
二
The Western Campaign: Defeating the Kumaso Through Disguise
›
三
The Eastern Campaign: The Kusanagi Sword and the Fire Ordeal
›
四
Atsuta Shrine and the Kusanagi Sword: One of the Three Imperial Treasures
›
五
The White Bird Legend: Death and Mythological Transformation
›
六
Summary: Visiting the Sites of Yamato Takeru's Legend
›
七
Frequently Asked Questions
›
The Hon-miya of Atsuta Shrine, enshrining the Kusanagi sword consecrated by Yamato Takeru's consort Miyazu Hime
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto is the greatest hero deity transmitted in Japan’s ancient chronicles, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. His legends span the archipelago from the western campaign against the Kumaso to the eastern campaign against the Emishi. Three core episodes — the Kusanagi sword, the miracle of the fire ordeal, and his transformation into a white bird — interweave to create a mythological narrative that has sustained his veneration as a tutelary deity across many shrines to this day. Above all, Atsuta Shrine stands as the sacred center of this hero mythology, enshrining the Kusanagi sword — one of the Three Imperial Treasures — as its divine body.
The Origins of Yamato Takeru: Son of Emperor Keiko
Divergences Between the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
The Kojiki (712 CE) names him Ousu no Mikoto and portrays him as a tragic hero of volatile emotion, while the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) emphasizes his role as a meritorious servant of imperial expansion. These two textual traditions arose as oral transmission was committed to writing, resulting in two parallel streams that scholars continue to distinguish.
His Position as Imperial Prince
As the son of the twelfth Emperor Keiko, Yamato Takeru received repeated orders for military campaigns. The Kojiki contains passages suggesting that the emperor, fearing his son’s ferocity, dispatched him to distant frontiers to keep him at bay. The political dynamic of sending a powerful succession candidate to the periphery is a pattern repeated throughout Japanese history, lending credibility to the interpretation that the Yamato Takeru legend preserves some historical kernel.
Yamato Takeru depicted by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, portraying the ancient hero renowned for his sword and valor
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The Western Campaign: Defeating the Kumaso Through Disguise
The Stratagem Against the Kumaso Takeru Brothers
The most celebrated episode of the western campaign is the assassination of the Kumaso Takeru brothers through cross-dressing. Yamato Takeru borrowed the robes of his aunt, Yamato Hime no Mikoto, and infiltrated a banquet disguised as a serving woman. When the younger Kumaso Takeru brother let his guard down, mistaking the disguised prince for a woman, Yamato Takeru stabbed him through the chest. As the brother lay dying, he reportedly declared: “There is no one more valiant than you — henceforth be called Yamato Takeru.” This narrative structure, wherein the defeated enemy bestows a name upon the hero, functions as a literary device to underscore the hero’s supreme excellence.
Ingenuity Over Brute Force
On the return journey, Yamato Takeru similarly outwitted Izumo Takeru by substituting a wooden sword for the real one while the latter bathed in a river. The consistent deployment of disguise, deception, and stratagem — rather than direct confrontation alone — defines the essential character of the Yamato Takeru legend as a fusion of intelligence and martial prowess.
The Eastern Campaign: The Kusanagi Sword and the Fire Ordeal
Receiving the Kusanagi Sword from Ise
Before departing on the eastern campaign, Yamato Takeru visited his aunt Yamato Hime no Mikoto at the Ise Shrine and received from her the Kusanagi sword and a fire-striker. The Kusanagi sword was originally the blade extracted by Susanoo no Mikoto from the body of the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi, and it is notable that the serpent myth and the hero myth are thus linked through this single artifact.
The great torii gate of Kehi Shrine, the ichinomiya of Echizen where Yamato Takeru is said to have stopped during his eastern campaign
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Fire Ordeal in Sagami Province
Upon reaching Sagami Province (present-day Kanagawa Prefecture), Yamato Takeru was lured into dry grassland by local chieftains who then set fire to it from all sides. The Kusanagi sword is described as moving of its own accord to mow down the grass, while Yamato Takeru used the fire-striker to set a counter-fire and escape. The Kojiki attributes the name “Kusanagi” (grass-mowing) to this episode, though scholars generally regard this as a folk etymology appended during the chronicle’s compilation.
The Journey Through Eastern Japan and the Meeting with Miyazu Hime
After the fire ordeal, Yamato Takeru pacified the Emishi of the Kanto and Tohoku regions, then stopped in Owari Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture) on his return. There he married Miyazu Hime no Mikoto and, crucially, left the Kusanagi sword in her keeping before proceeding to subdue the deity of Mount Ibuki. This decision to leave behind the sword becomes the pivotal tragedy of his story. Isonokami Shrine, which enshrines the Futsu no Mitama sword, offers a valuable parallel as an ancient repository of sacred weapons conceptually related to the Kusanagi.
Atsuta Shrine and the Kusanagi Sword: One of the Three Imperial Treasures
The Enshrinement by Miyazu Hime
Defeated by the deity of Mount Ibuki, Yamato Takeru fell gravely ill and died at Nobono (identified with present-day Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture). Miyazu Hime, inheriting the hero’s legacy, is said to have built a shrine to enshrine the Kusanagi sword — the origin of the present-day Atsuta Shrine. The founding is ascribed to the fifty-first year of Emperor Keiko’s reign in the chronicles, though the earliest historically verifiable textual reference dates to the seventh century CE.
Site
Location
Key Legend
Highlights
Atsuta Shrine
Nagoya, Aichi
Kusanagi sword enshrined by Miyazu Hime; one of the Three Imperial Treasures
Hon-miya, Shimizu-sha, ancient camphor trees
Kehi Shrine
Tsuruga, Fukui
Yamato Takeru said to have stopped here during the eastern campaign
One of Japan’s three great torii gates
Otori Taisha
Sakai, Osaka
White bird said to have alighted here after Yamato Takeru’s death
Head shrine of approximately 270 Otori shrines nationwide
Isonokami Shrine
Tenri, Nara
Enshrines the Futsu no Mitama sword, conceptually parallel to the Kusanagi
National Treasure worship hall; sacred free-roaming chickens
Shiratori Shrine (Higashi-Kagawa)
Higashi-Kagawa, Kagawa
Local white bird legend linked to Yamato Takeru’s final journey
Unique regional tradition distinct from mainland accounts
Otori Taisha in Sakai, Osaka — the site where a white bird said to be Yamato Takeru alighted after his death
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
The White Bird Legend: Death and Mythological Transformation
Death at Nobono
Having been struck down by the mountain deity of Mount Ibuki, Yamato Takeru traveled through Ise and other provinces before dying at Nobono. Multiple elegies mourned by his consorts are preserved in the Kojiki, embedding the tragedy of the hero’s early death as the emotional core of the tradition.
Transformation into a White Bird
The Kojiki records that Yamato Takeru transformed into a white bird and, after passing through Yamato and Kawachi, ascended to heaven. Imperial mausoleums were subsequently constructed at the places where the white bird alighted. This legend propagated across Japan, giving rise to shrines bearing the name “Shiratori” (white bird) in Osaka, Ehime, and Kagawa prefectures. The white bird as a sacred animal also resonates with shamanistic bird-soul beliefs that entered the archipelago from northern Eurasia, though attributing this as the “origin” of the Yamato Takeru legend would require stronger evidence than currently exists.
The main hall of Isonokami Shrine, an ancient sacred armory enshrining the Futsu no Mitama sword, a conceptual counterpart to the Kusanagi
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Summary: Visiting the Sites of Yamato Takeru’s Legend
The legend of Yamato Takeru is a composite mythology interlinking the western campaign, the eastern campaign, the Kusanagi sword, and the white bird transformation. Its sites of transmission extend from Nagoya to Osaka, Nara, Fukui, and Shikoku. Visiting these places in person is the most practical means of grounding the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki narratives in real geography.
Points to Note When Visiting
•
At Atsuta Shrine, the Kusanagi sword is enshrined in the innermost precinct of the Hon-miya. The grounds extend broadly north to south; the Shimizu-sha and the ancient camphor trees attributed to Kobo Daishi are also worth visiting
•
Kehi Shrine features one of Japan’s three great stone torii (height approximately 11 meters) and is a major shrine of the Hokuriku region
•
Otori Taisha in Sakai City is the head shrine for approximately 270 Otori shrines nationwide and is the central site for the white bird legend
•
Isonokami Shrine at the eastern edge of the Yamato Basin maintains a unique atmosphere with free-roaming sacred chickens in the precinct
•
Imperial mausoleums (white bird mounds) are managed by the Imperial Household Agency and cannot be entered, but can be viewed from the perimeter
Related Spots
•
Atsuta Shrine — Central site of the Yamato Takeru myth, enshrining the Kusanagi sword
•
Kehi Shrine — Ichinomiya of Echizen where Yamato Takeru is said to have prayed for victory
•
Otori Taisha — Head shrine where the white bird is said to have alighted
•
Isonokami Shrine — Ancient sacred repository enshrining the Futsu no Mitama sword
•
Shiratori Shrine (Higashi-Kagawa) — Shikoku site preserving a regional variant of the white bird legend
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Yamato Takeru a real historical person?
The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki blend myth and history, making it impossible to verify Yamato Takeru’s historical existence through the chronicles alone. However, there is no strong evidence to deny the broader historical context of imperial expansion during the Keiko era. Scholars have proposed that the figure may represent a conflation of multiple historical individuals or a historical person substantially embellished by legendary accretion. A definitive answer one way or the other cannot yet be reached.
What is the Kusanagi sword?
The Kusanagi sword is one of the Three Imperial Treasures and is currently enshrined at Atsuta Shrine. Its physical form is not open to public viewing. Mythologically, it is the blade extracted by Susanoo from the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi — originally called “Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi” — and is said to have mowed down the grass during the Sagami fire ordeal, giving rise to the name “Kusanagi.”
Why does the white bird legend appear across so many regions?
The Kojiki’s account of Yamato Takeru transforming into a white bird and flying to various locations was incorporated into the founding traditions of numerous regional shrines bearing the name “Shiratori.” This process also served a political function: by connecting local traditions to the central hero mythology, the Ritsuryo state could validate regional authority within the framework of imperial legitimacy.
Why is Atsuta Shrine so closely associated with Yamato Takeru?
Because Miyazu Hime no Mikoto, Yamato Takeru’s consort, is said to have founded the shrine to enshrine the Kusanagi sword after his death. The structure in which a hero’s weapon is deified and preserved by his surviving spouse reflects a belief that the hero’s spiritual power remains in the world through his sacred implement. Atsuta Shrine rose to second rank among shrines after Ise and drew the veneration of medieval warriors — most famously, Oda Nobunaga offered prayers here before the Battle of Okehazama in the third year of Eiroku (1560).
Last updated: May 25, 2026
── 了 ──
武
Author
Taketoki（たけとき）
Samurai History
Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.
›
This article was
♡ Helpful
⤴
詣
Visit Related Places
History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.
1. Atsuta Jingu
Eastern Japan's greatest shrine — home of the sacred Kusanagi Sword, one of the three Imperial Treasures
›
K
2. Kehi Jingu
The foremost grand shrine of Hokuriku and ichinomiya of Echizen Province, famed for one of Japan's three greatest wooden torii and celebrated in Basho's haiku.
›
3. Ōtori Taisha
Where Yamato Takeru's spirit alighted as a white bird after his eastern campaign — Ichinomiya of Izumi Province, classified Myojin Taisha in the Engishiki and Imperial Major Shrine in 1871
›
4. Isonokami Jingu
One of Japan's oldest shrines — guardian of the military houses, treasuring the National Treasure Seven-Branched Sword of legendary power
›
S
5. Shiratori Jinja
Shiratori Jinja is an ancient shrine in the easter…
›
Pilgrimage Course
Osaka Temples & Shrines Pilgrimage
Visit 28 sites
›
Pilgrimage Course
Shinbutsu Reijo Pilgrimage
Visit 150 sites
›
Related Articles
T
共通のスポット
Tokugawa Ieyasu Pilgrimage: Okazaki, Sunpu, and Nikko
A pilgrimage tracing Tokugawa Ieyasu's 74-year life from birth in Okazaki (1542) to deification at N
›
O
共通のスポット
Oda Nobunaga Historic Sites: Gifu, Azuchi, and Honnoji
A guide tracing Oda Nobunaga's footsteps through Gifu Castle, Azuchi Castle ruins, Kenkun Shrine, an
›
O
共通のスポット
Okehazama Battlefield: Tracing Nobunaga's Lightning Strike
In the fifth month of Eiroku 3 (1560), the minor lord Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack at Oke
›
I C H I G O I C H I E
📱
Explore pilgrimage with the app
Download on the App Store
✕