Japan’s Three Sacred Treasures: Mythic Relics to Modern Legends
/Overview
The sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the mirror Yata-no-Kagami, and the jewels Yasakani-no-Magatama; these are Japan’s three royal regalia, and have been passed down from emperor to emperor over centuries! They’re known as a key part of Japan’s culture and history, but where are they from? Why do they exist? What myths surround them, and what value do they hold today? Allow me to introduce to you, Japan’s three Sacred Treasures!
The Myth
Legends (and the eighth century Kojiki, a book full of Japanese myths and traditions) say that thousands of years ago, the sun goddess Amaterasu-no-Mikoto and her brother, the god of storms and the sea, Susano’o-no-Mikoto, got in a heated conflict; Susano’o had upset the lands of Japan, got kicked out of the heavens for it, and was banished to Earth.
perhaps amaterasu was drawn out by a sight similar to this…
On the other hand, Amaterasu hid away within a cave, and in doing so, all light vanished from Japan, cloaking the land in darkness. This was, obviously, a problem, so hundreds of other gods came together to cook up a plan to get her out. They threw a grand party outside of the cave, with a long string of magatama jewels and a shining bronze mirror hung from a tree outside.
This commotion caused Amaterasu to poke her head out of the cave to investigate, and upon being told that they were celebrating due to finding a deity far superior to her, she was shown a reflection of herself within that hanging mirror. Enthralled and confused, she was stunned for just long enough for the other gods to pull her out and shut the cave behind her, returning light to the land. Now, it’s not stated anywhere, but I’d like to believe that Amaterasu got to enjoy the party for herself, at least a little bit, before it wrapped up.
Perhaps susano’o got kicked out of the heavens for pulling stunts like this… (credit to hokusai, the painter of this piece)
Meanwhile, Susano’o wandered the lands of Japan following his divine expulsion and happened across a weeping elderly couple with their lone daughter. They told him that an eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent was praying on their family, so with some cunning strategy involving getting the serpent drunk before slicing off its heads, Susano’o managed to fell the beast. After doing so, he went to cut off the monster’s tails, but found his blade shattered. After investigating, he found an impeccable blade lying within the tails and claimed it as his own. However, he soon chose to offer it to Amaterasu as repentance for his earlier misdeeds.
The Passing of the Treasures
Beyond that, it is said that Amaterasu later gifted the blade, mirror, and the string of magatama jewels to her grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto. It is believed that the three treasures represent the three virtues that are considered key to ruling over the land: The sword represents valour, the mirror represents wisdom, and the jewels represent benevolence. Ninigi was sent down to Earth to end the wars in Japan, with the three treasures in hand, bringing peace to the nation. Ninigi is said to be the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Jimmu, from whom the current emperor is directly descended. To this day, the three sacred treasures have been passed down from emperor to emperor, used to seal one’s ascension to the throne beyond any doubt. Whilst the treasures themselves are kept hidden from all but the current emperor and select priests, their influence and cultural weight remain as prominent as ever.
Their Appearances in Pop Culture
That influence even stretches beyond the confines of the emperor’s lineage, as modern pop culture has adopted and interpreted the sacred treasures in numerous different ways over the years. For example, a blade sharing the name Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi appears in the anime and manga Naruto, the character Kizaru from the anime and manga One Piece has a fighting technique named after Yata-no-Kagami, and numerous depictions of sacred magatama have appeared across media, from the Secret Stones in adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to the psyche-lock busting Magatama in the mystery games of the Ace Attorney franchise.
The three sacred treasures play an enormous role in Japan’s history, mythology, and culture, and that impact continues into the modern day as more and more stories adapt the mythic items for a modern audience. Even if the real regalia never see the light of day again, their story will shine on far into the future.
Sources used
· Takenaka, Kiyoshi. “Factbox: Japan’s ‘Three Sacred Treasures’ Symbolise Emperor’s Legitimacy | Reuters.” Reuters, 26 Apr. 2019, www.reuters.com/article/world/factbox-japans-three-sacred-treasures-symbolise-emperors-legitimacy-idUSKCN1S303I/.
· Charney, Noah. “Lost Art: The Mysterious Allure of Japan’s Three Sacred Treasures.” The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events, The Art Newspaper - International art news and events, 15 July 2019, www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/07/15/lost-art-the-mysterious-allure-of-japans-three-sacred-treasures.
· Holland, Oscar. “Japan’s Ancient and Mysterious Royal Regalia.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Oct. 2019, www.cnn.com/style/article/japan-enthronement-royal-regalia/index.html.
· “Sanshu No Shinki.” Hubert Herald, www.hubert-herald.nl/NihonSanshunoShinki.htm. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
· Doug. “The Three Sacred Treasures of Japan.” Gleanings in Buddha-Fields, 10 Mar. 2024, nembutsu.cc/2024/03/10/the-three-sacred-treasures-of-japan/.
· Martin, Paul. “Ushering in the Reiwa Era: The Importance of the Three Sacred Treasures.” JAPAN Forward, 30 Apr. 2019, japan-forward.com/ushering-in-the-reiwa-era-the-importance-of-the-three-sacred-treasures/.
· Philippi, Donald L., and 安万侶(-723). Kojiki; Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Donald L. Philippi. University of Tokyo Press, 1968.
Sebastian Switzer, best known for his short story Ronin, lives in southern Ontario with his family. Sebastian began writing in 2018, specializing in suspenseful, high-fantasy fiction, and dabbling in as much mystery as he can manage; a sucker for action, his style’s never found standing still. He’s currently aiming his attention towards this very blog, where he covers myths and folklore from Japan’s storied history. Sebastian is often accompanied by his two cats, who frequently find themselves seated stoically between himself and his work.
