SHINTO AND JAPANESE (5)

5.Nihongi, Chronicles of Japan

She(Amaterasu oho mi kami) further gave command (to Ame no oshihomimi no mikoto), saying : I will give over to my child th rice-ears of the sacred garden, of which I partake in the Plain of High Heaven.

William George Aston,trans., Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D.697

Subsequently, as quoted in No. 5, Amaterasu omi kami gave commands to her son, Ame no oshihomimi no mikoto, one of commands saying : I will give over to my child th rice-ears of the sacred garden, of which I partake in the Plain of High Heaven. In the meantime, an August Grandchild was born, whose name was called Ninigi no mikoto. Ninigi no mikoto received instructions to descend and rule Japan. He was sent down to the Central Land of Reed Plain instead of his father, Oshihomimi no mikoto. To symbolize his authority he was given three divine treasures : a mirror which is now enshrined at Ise Grand shrine, a sword, and a string of jewels. Ninigi no mikoto's great grand son, Emperor Jinmu, became the first human ruler of Japan.

It is significant that Emperor has been identified as Ninigi no mikoto in mythological sense when he observed enthronement ceremonies. Sovereign Grandchild, or Sumemima no mikoto, literally meaning the grandson of Amaterasu omikami, also means Emperor in the Shinto ritual prayers. According to this mythology, Emperor has responsibility for rice cultivation of Japan.

In modern time, the population of the farmer in Japan has been extremely decreased. However Emperor cultivates rice by his own hands in the

Imperial Court

, and dedicates the first Ears to the Ise Grand Shrine at the Divine Harvest Festival. After this festival, on November 23rd the Festival of the Divine Tasting of the New Rice(Niinamesai) is observed by Emperor, in the

Imperial Court

. In this occasion, Emperor offers the new rice to deities and he himself tastes it. The first harvest festival to be celebrated during the reign of each new Emperor is called by a special name: Great Banquet Festival(Daijosai). It has been celebrated with special ceremony.

This characteristic of the festivals observed by Emperor is common to most of festivals at shrines observed by people all over Japan. This is why many Japanese give a special meaning to rice. Rice is not mere food, but a root of the life of Japanese. Rice is sacred food received from Amaterasu omikami. In this sense, the Japanese Myth still alive in the Shinto tradition.