Hare of Inaba
Encyclopedia
The Hare of Inaba can refer to two distinct Japanese myths.
. In this version of the myth, a hare
tricks some sharks into being used as a land bridge, in order to travel from the Island of Oki
to Cape Keta. He challenges the sharks to see whose clan is larger—the sharks or the hares—by having the sharks lie in a row across the sea. The hare then hopped across them, counting them as he went. Nearing the end, the hare exclaims that he has deceived the sharks in order to use them as a bridge. The last shark attacks the hare, ripping his fur from him. The god Ōkuninushi with his eighty brothers was travelling through the area to visit princess Yakami. While the brothers were on their way to visit the princess, the flayed hare stopped them and asked them for help. They told the hare to wash in the sea and dry itself in the wind, which naturally caused great pain for it. Ōkuninushi then met the hare, and he told it to bathe in fresh water and then roll in the pollen of cattail. The hare immediately got better, and it revealed its true form as a god. In gratitude, the hare told Ōkuninushi that Yakami would be his.
and her group traveled around at the boundary of Yakami in Inaba, they were looking for a place for their temporary palace, suddenly a white hare appeared. The white hare bit Amaterasu's clothes and took her to an appropriate place for a temporary palace along Nakayama mountain and Reiseki mountain. About two hours' walk, accompanied by the white Hare, the Amaterasu group reached a mountain top plain, which is now called Ise ga naru. Then, the white Hare disappeared at Ise ga naru.
The place of this legend is in Yazu town and Tottori
city, in Tottori Prefecture
(ancient Inaba and Houki).
Kojiki version
This version originates from the oldest surviving book in Japan, the KojikiKojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
. In this version of the myth, a hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
tricks some sharks into being used as a land bridge, in order to travel from the Island of Oki
Oki Islands
are a group of islands in the southwestern part of the Sea of Japan and belong to Japan.-Geography:The Oki Islands are situated between 40 to 80 kilometers north of the coast of Honshū.The islands are of volcanic origin and have a total area of 346,1 km2...
to Cape Keta. He challenges the sharks to see whose clan is larger—the sharks or the hares—by having the sharks lie in a row across the sea. The hare then hopped across them, counting them as he went. Nearing the end, the hare exclaims that he has deceived the sharks in order to use them as a bridge. The last shark attacks the hare, ripping his fur from him. The god Ōkuninushi with his eighty brothers was travelling through the area to visit princess Yakami. While the brothers were on their way to visit the princess, the flayed hare stopped them and asked them for help. They told the hare to wash in the sea and dry itself in the wind, which naturally caused great pain for it. Ōkuninushi then met the hare, and he told it to bathe in fresh water and then roll in the pollen of cattail. The hare immediately got better, and it revealed its true form as a god. In gratitude, the hare told Ōkuninushi that Yakami would be his.
Ise ga Naru version
This version of the legend is not very well known. Long ago, when Japanese goddess AmaterasuAmaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
and her group traveled around at the boundary of Yakami in Inaba, they were looking for a place for their temporary palace, suddenly a white hare appeared. The white hare bit Amaterasu's clothes and took her to an appropriate place for a temporary palace along Nakayama mountain and Reiseki mountain. About two hours' walk, accompanied by the white Hare, the Amaterasu group reached a mountain top plain, which is now called Ise ga naru. Then, the white Hare disappeared at Ise ga naru.
The place of this legend is in Yazu town and Tottori
Tottori, Tottori
is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....
city, in Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
(ancient Inaba and Houki).