Trip to Hayato, Kagoshima

[Stuart Iles]

Hi all.

I'm heading down to Hayato city and Kagoshima city next week down in Kyushu. I'm planning to go to the Uenohara Jomon Village and the Hayatozuka museum. I'm interested in learning more about the Hayato people, does anyone have any suggestions for must go places? I don't want to miss anything while I'm down there.

Cheers

Stuart.

[Sarah Schmid]

Dear Stuart

If you are already in the Hayato area, I recommend visiting Kagoshima shrine. According to legend, the history of this shrine goes all the way back to Hikohohodemi no mikoto, who is famous for being the grandfather of Jinmu tennō and for visiting the Sea God's palace to retrieve a lost fishhook. He is also the main deity enshrined here. 

I'm not sure if there is any actual archaeological evidence linking the origins of Kagoshima shrine directly to the Hayato people (I think there was some speculation on that at some point, but I'm not really tuned into that discussion - others might know more). However, there is a Jōmon-period shell mound nearby, so the area was definitely inhabited long before the shrine was built. The local museum should have artefacts excavated from the mound and the shrine. It was closed when I visited, so I can't say whether it has any valuable information to give. 

In any case, it's a shrine well worth visiting, since the architecture is somewhat unusual. It's also one of the few shrines that still keep a live sacred horse.

Enjoy your trip,

Sarah

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[Leonardo Wolfe]

Dear Dr. Schmid,

I must admit that I find aspects of said genealogy to be rather enigmatic.

For example, as I'm sure that you're already aware, Hoori gained a spouse from that visit, Toyotamabime, but, to my knowledge, her maternal origin is never mentioned. Matters also get more complicated when you factor in the debate over the meaning of the term 和邇.

Toyotamabime's physical transformation, the taboo of looking, and several other factors, remind me somewhat of Ōmononushi's mythology, but here he appears to take the form of a serpent, rather than a "shark".

Further reading:

https://kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp/shinmei/toyotamabime/

https://kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp/shinmei/omononushinokami/

https://www.routledge.com/Clans-and-Religion-in-Ancient-Japan-The-mythology-of-Mt-Miwa/Suzuki/p/book/9781138317895

Kinds regards,

Leonardo Wolfe