Who Is Kamuyamato-Iwarebiko (later Emperor Jimmu) (Emperor Jimmu)?
The first emperor, who journeyed east
Kamuyamato-Iwarebiko-no-Mikoto
Emperor Jimmu is the figure the Kojiki names as the first emperor of Japan; his original name was Kamuyamato-Iwarebiko. Born in Hyuga as a descendant of the gods who came down from heaven, he set out on a long journey east toward Yamato in search of a place from which to rule the land.
Leaving Hyuga with his elder brother Itsuse, he traveled by way of Usa in Toyo and Kibi toward Naniwa, but at Shirakata Bay he was defeated by the army of Tomibiko and lost his brother. After circling around to Kumano in Kii, he and his men fell unconscious, but they were revived by a sword brought by Takakuraji, and Yatagarasu, the Great Crow, led them over the mountains into Yamato. He defeated Ukashi the Elder of Uda and the Tsuchigumo of Osaka, ruled the land from the Kashihara Palace by Mount Unebi, and took Isukeyorihime as his chief queen.
The Kojiki says he died at the age of 137 and that his tomb lies north of Mount Unebi. Japan's National Foundation Day on February 11 is based on the date of his enthronement given in a later chronicle, the Nihon Shoki.
Episodes featuring this character4
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
NEWEpisode 4
Mother's Song Was a Murder WarningThe Rebellion of Tagishimimi
After Kamuyamato-Iwarebiko, the first king, dies, his eldest son Tagishimimi, a half brother born in a far southern land, plots to kill his three younger brothers. Their mother, Isukeyorihime, hides a warning in a song about the landscape. The youngest, Kamununakawamimi, decodes it. When his brother Kamuyaimimi freezes with the sword raised, Kamununakawamimi takes the blade from his hands.
19 pages