Who Is Itsuse?
Elder brother of Emperor Jimmu
Itsuse-no-Mikoto
Itsuse is the elder full brother of Emperor Jimmu (Iwarebiko). He and his younger brother asked each other, "Where should we live to rule the land well?" and together they set out east from Hyuga.
While fighting the army of Tomibiko at Shirakata Bay in Naniwa, Itsuse was struck in the hand by an arrow and badly wounded. He said, "As descendants of the sun goddess, it was wrong for us to fight facing the sun. Let us go around and fight with the sun at our backs," and the group headed south. But his wound did not heal, and at Onominato in Ki he died crying out bravely, "Must I die from a wound dealt by a lowly foe?"
The Kojiki says Itsuse was buried at Kamayama in Ki, and he is worshipped today at Kamayama Shrine in Wakayama City.
Episodes featuring this character3
NEWEpisode 1
Beaten by the Sun in Their EyesEmperor Jimmu's Eastern Expedition
Brothers Iwarebiko and Itsuse set out east to find a land they can rule in peace. After a journey of many years, they lose their first great battle, and Itsuse is struck in the hand by an arrow. His final plan is simple: fight with the sun at your back. This is the story of how the younger brother carries it on.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 2
Japan's Soccer Crow Once Led a Lost KingYatagarasu, the Divine Crow
After losing his brother Itsuse, Iwarebiko lands at Kumano, where a mysterious great bear appears and every last one of his warriors falls asleep. A sword sent down from heaven and Yatagarasu, the Great Crow, show him the way forward. Along the road he meets tailed earthly gods, and in Uda a man who set a deadly trap ends up caught in it himself.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 3
A Love Story That Began With “Why Those Eyes?”The Kume Songs and Princess Isukeyori
Having lost his brother on the road to Yamato, Iwarebiko clears his way with song: a feast-song signal in a mountain cave, a dawn assault on the man who shot his brother, and a call that brings food to his starving soldiers. Now king of the land, the young man gets help from his comrade-in-arms Okume's answering verse and meets a maiden with an unflinching gaze.
19 pages