One of the more badass figures in Japanese mythology is a kami called Takemikazuchi.
He was born from blood, so as you can see his badassery level was at a ten from the
beginning.
His birth was part of the story of Izanagi and Izanami.
If you remember, Izanagi and Izanami were the two kami who created the islands of Japan.
They brought many other kami into the world, but when Izanami gave birth to the fire kami,
she died from the fire.
Her husband, Izanagi, filled with grief, beheaded his own child, the fire kami.
Afterwards, the many drops of blood that dripped from his sword created a bunch of kami, one
of which was Takemikazuchi.
Much later, Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, orders her grandson to descend to Earth and pacify
Japan.
Her grandson was called Ame nigishi kuni nigishi ama tsu hi daka hiko ho no ninigi no mikoto.
He’s also known as Ninigi, but what’s the fun in that?
While he was conquering Japan, Ame nigishi kuni nigishi ama tsu hi daka hiko ho no ninigi
no mikoto runs into a problem.
The ruler of the land of Izumo, a kami called Okuninushi, refuses to submit.
Amaterasu then sends our hero Takemikazuchi down to resolve the issue because he is an
excellent debater.
Just kidding, he’s good at f’ing s--t up with his sword.
We don’t see much description of his sword, which is fine.
If you’ve seen the other videos in this series about Famous Weapons of Japan, the
point is to tell the stories surrounding legendary weapons instead of describing the actual weapons
themselves.
Takemikazuchi is the kami of many things, including the kami of thunder, the kami of
swords, and the kami of warriors.
A great skill set for the task.
He confronts Okuninushi, the ruler of Izumo.
He uses a great negotiation tactic that we can all learn from.
He sticks his sword on the ground, with the blade pointing straight up, then gets up,
nonchalant, and sits cross-legged on the point of the sword.
After assuming the position, he demands that Okuninushi and his sons accept the authority
of Ame nigishi kuni nigishi ama tsu hi daka hiko ho no ninigi no mikoto.
Seeing Takemikazuchi’s display, Okuninushi and his eldest son are like, “Holy, what
the, Jesus, okay okay, we give up!”
However, Okuninushi’s second son is not impressed.
“Just because you inserted yourself deep into our territory,” he says,
“does not mean you get to be the one on top!”
The second son then challenges Takemikazuchi to a battle of strength.
He picks up a huge boulder and twirls it on his fingers, which was very impressive.
But then he makes the mistake of grabbing Takemikazuchi’s arm.
In response, Takemikazuchi changes his arm into ice, then into the blade of a sword,
causing the second son to panic and recoil.
Takemikazuchi then grabs his opponent’s arm and...
rips it off and throws it away.
Boy, that escalated quickly.
This fight is significant in that it’s the legendary origin of sumo wrestling.
Apparently, the hand-to-hand combat somewhat resembles what modern sumo wrestlers do.
Of course, the sport did away with the arm-ripping part at some point.
Because unions.
After his son’s loss, Okuninushi gives up his rule over Izumo.
Izumo itself was pretty important.
In mythology, the entrance to the underworld resided in Izumo.
Yes, the same entrance that Izanagi entered looking for his dead wife.
In actual history, historians think it’s likely that Izumo was a powerful state that
once rivaled Yamato, but was eventually subdued by Yamato.
With the problem resolved, oh god...Ame nigishi kuni nigishi ama tsu hi daka hiko ho no ninigi
no mikoto descends to Japan and becomes the ruler.
HIS grandson was the legendary first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu.
During Jimmu’s time, he himself goes on a conquering spree in Japan.
He runs into a problem during his campaign.
Jimmu and his army see a large bear come out of a mountain, then go back in.
For some reason, they all faint.
In another version, some local kami call forth some poisonous vapors, making everyone too
sick to continue.
Amaterasu again orders Takemikazuchi to help.
This time, he starts whining and does not want to go.
Instead, he just sends down his sword.
Takemikazuchi enters a random guy’s dream and tells him about the whole situation, and
tells him to give the sword to Emperor Jimmu, which he does.
Upon taking the sword, depending on the version, either all of the evil kami in the area are
destroyed, or the poisonous fumes dissipate, allowing Emperor Jimmu to continue his campaign.
The sword is called Futsu no mitama no tsurugi.
There is actually a kami named Futsu no mitama, and the sword is the vessel in which he resides.
Right now, the sword is supposedly kept at the Isonokami Shrine, though no one is allowed
to see it.