Tenson Korin (the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild) is the Japanese myth in which Ninigi, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, descends from Takamagahara (the High Plain of Heaven) to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, the earthly Central Land of Reed Plains, bearing the Three Sacred Treasures. Following the Transfer of the Land, in which the earthly realm was pacified, the story stands at the heart of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki as the account of how the imperial line came to descend from the heavenly deities. It features gods venerated throughout later history, including Sarutahiko, the deity who guides the way; the goddess Ame-no-Uzume who accompanies the descent; and Konohanasakuya, whom Ninigi marries after reaching earth.
| Principal Sources | Kojiki and Nihon Shoki |
|---|---|
| Main Setting | Takamagahara → the peak of Takachiho in Hyuga, Tsukushi (with traditional sites in Miyazaki and Kagoshima Prefectures) |
| Protagonist | Ninigi-no-Mikoto (Ninigi) — grandson of Amaterasu |
| What He Received | The Three Sacred Treasures (the Yata Mirror, the Yasakani Magatama, and the Kusanagi Sword) and rice ears |
| Accompanying Deities | The Five Companion Chiefs (Ame-no-Koyane, Futodama, Ame-no-Uzume, Ishikoridome, and Tamanooya) |
| Significance | A myth following the Transfer of the Land that establishes the origin of the imperial line |
Tenson Korin takes place immediately after the "Transfer of the Land," in which Okuninushi of Izumo ceded Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (the earthly world) to Amaterasu. To rule the newly pacified earth, Amaterasu at first intended to send her own son Ame-no-Oshihomimi, but in the meantime a child was born to him. This was Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Amaterasu then decided instead to have her grandson Ninigi descend, and from here begins the story of how "the grandchild of the heavenly deities — the heavenly grandchild — descends to earth." In the Nihon Shoki, Amaterasu is said to have granted Ninigi the Tenjo-mukyu no Shinchoku (Divine Edict of Heaven and Earth Everlasting), pledging the eternal continuity of the imperial line; it was later counted as one of the "Three Great Divine Edicts."
Amaterasu grants Ninigi the Yata Mirror (Yata-no-Kagami) as her own spirit, together with the Yasakani Magatama (a curved jewel) and the Kusanagi Sword (also called Ame-no-Murakumo). These became the Three Sacred Treasures, later regarded as the symbols of the imperial throne. Of the mirror, she is said to have commanded, "Worship this as though it were myself." She also granted rice ears (the sacred rice ears of the heavenly garden), entrusting Ninigi with the role of bringing the bounty of rice cultivation to earth. Ninigi was accompanied by five attendants, the Five Companion Chiefs (Itsutomo-no-O) — Ame-no-Koyane (ancestor of the Nakatomi clan), Futodama (ancestor of the Imbe clan), Ame-no-Uzume (ancestor of the Sarume-no-Kimi), Ishikoridome (ancestor of the mirror-makers), and Tamanooya (ancestor of the jewel-makers) — linking the descent to the origins of the clans charged with ritual and craft.
As the party prepared to descend from heaven, a strange deity who illuminated both above and below stood blocking the Ame-no-Yachimata (the Heavenly Crossroads), where heaven and earth divide. With a long nose, a towering stature, and eyes shining like mirrors — features said to have influenced later images of the tengu — this god prompted Amaterasu to send Ame-no-Uzume to demand his identity. The deity gave his name as Sarutahiko, an earthly god, and answered that he had come to meet and guide the heavenly grandchild. Thus Ninigi reached the earth safely. Having fulfilled his task, Sarutahiko was escorted to Ise by Ame-no-Uzume, and the two deities are said to have been joined together. Sarutahiko came to be widely venerated as the "god of guidance."
Ninigi is said to have pushed apart the clouds, passed through the many layered paths of heaven, and alighted on the peak of Takachiho in Hyuga, Tsukushi. The Kojiki records that he praised this land as "a country struck directly by the morning sun, a country lit by the evening sun," and there built his palace. Where Takachiho actually refers to, however, has long been disputed between two traditional sites: one identifying it with the town of Takachiho in northern Miyazaki Prefecture, and the other with the peak of Takachiho on Mount Kirishima on the border of Miyazaki and Kagoshima Prefectures — a "rivalry of authenticity" that has continued since medieval times. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki differ in the details of the treasures, the accompanying deities, and the way the descent site is named, and the Nihon Shoki records several variant accounts (the "one book" passages) side by side.
Having established his palace on earth, Ninigi met the beautiful Konohanasakuya (Konohana-no-Sakuya-Hime) at Cape Kasasa and proposed marriage. Her father, the mountain god Oyamatsumi, rejoiced and offered her elder sister Iwanaga (Iwanaga-Hime) as well; but Ninigi sent back the less comely elder sister and took only Konohanasakuya as his wife. Oyamatsumi lamented, declaring, "Iwanaga was sent to grant life eternal as rock, and Konohanasakuya to bring flourishing like blossoms. Because you have returned the elder sister, the life of the heavenly grandchild will become fleeting as a flower." By this, the Kojiki explains, the lifespan of the emperors became finite. Konohanasakuya conceived in a single night, and to prove her fidelity she gave birth in a burning birthing hut. From the line of the children born of her, the lineage would later continue down to Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor.
AmaterasuThe presiding deity of Takamagahara. She granted her grandson Ninigi the Three Sacred Treasures and rice ears and commanded him to rule the earth — the catalyst of the descent.SarutahikoThe earthly god who stood at the Heavenly Crossroads and guided Ninigi's party down to earth. The god of guidance.
Ame-no-UzumeOne of the Five Companion Chiefs who accompanied the descent. She demanded Sarutahiko's identity and later escorted him to Ise.
KonohanasakuyaThe blossom goddess joined with Ninigi at Cape Kasasa after the descent. Mother of the lineage leading to Emperor Jimmu.
OyamatsumiThe mountain god, father of Konohanasakuya and Iwanaga. He told Ninigi, who had sent the elder sister back, that his life would now be finite.