Emperor Jimmu

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC. In Japanese mythology, he was a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, through her grandson Ninigi, as well as a descendant of the storm god Susanoo. He launched a military expedition from Hyūga near the Seto Inland Sea, subduing tribes as he went and ending in Yamato, where he established his center of power. In modern Japan, Emperor Jimmu's legendary accession is marked as National Foundation Day on February 11. There is no evidence to suggest that Jimmu existed. However, there is a high probability that there was a powerful dynasty in the vicinity of Miyazaki Prefecture during the Kofun period. Jimmu is recorded as Japan's first ruler in two early chronicles, Nihon Shoki (721) and Kojiki (712). Nihon Shoki gives the dates of his reign as 660–585 BC. In the reign of Emperor Kanmu (737–806), the eighth-century scholar Ōmi no Mifune designated rulers before Emperor Ōjin as tennō (heavenly sovereign), a Japanese pendant to the Chinese imperial title Tiān-dì (heavenly emperor), and gave several of them including Jimmu their canonical names. Prior to this time, these rulers had been known as Sumera no mikoto Ōkimi. This practice had begun under Empress Suiko, and took root after the Taika Reforms with the ascendancy of the Nakatomi clan. Both the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki give Jimmu's name as Kamu-yamato Iware-biko no Mikoto or Kamu-yamato Iware-biko no Sumeramikoto. Iware indicates a toponym (an old place name in the Nara region) whose precise purport is unclear. '-no-Mikoto' is an honorific, indicating divinity, nobility, or royalty. Among his other names were: Wakamikenu no Mikoto, Kamu-yamato Iware-biko hohodemi no Mikoto and Hikohohodemi. The Imperial House of Japan traditionally based its claim to the throne on its putative descent from the sun-goddess Amaterasu via Jimmu's great-grandfather Ninigi. Jimmu had a consort named Ahiratsu-hime, who was the daughter of Hosuseri (Ninigi's son). He had five sons, four of whom became emperors after him. His first son was Prince Tagishimimi, who died before Jimmu. His second son was Kisumimi, who became a priest. His third son was Hikoyai-no-Mikoto, who died in battle. His fourth son was Kamuyaimimi, who became the ancestor of the Mononobe clan. His fifth son was Emperor Suizei, who succeeded Jimmu as the second emperor of Japan. Jimmu died of natural causes at the age of 126 or 136, according to different sources. He was buried in a tomb called Unebi-yama no ushitora no sumi no misasagi, located in Kashihara, Nara.