Yatagaratsu

Yagaratsu est à l'honneur au Miagatahiko-sha Shrine qui lui est dédié (au sein de l'ensemble Kumano Nachi Taisha). Yatagarasu, c'est le corbeau à trois pattes qui est revenu s'installer à Kumano Nachi après avoir guidé l'empereur qui a fondé la capitale à l'actuelle Nara. Ci dessous, transcription du panneau :

This is a statue of the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese myth.

In the ancient Japanese chronicles ojiki and Nihon shoki, the Yatagarasu appeared as a servant of Amaterasu-no-Okami, the goddess of the sun. It was sent to guide the legendary first emperor Jimmu from Kumano to present-day Nara, where he founded the first national capital.

According to legend, the Yatagarasu then returned here, to the site of Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine. The inner sanctum, which is not open to the public, contains the Karasu-ishi (Yatagarasu Stone), said to be the resting form of the Yatagarasu.

Légende de Yatagarasu :

The Yatagarasu is both a deity of guidance and a servant of the Kumano deities, including Amaterasu-no-Okami. A subsidiary shrine called Miagatahiko-sha was erected on the grounds of Nachi Taisha to honor the resting place of the Yatagarasu. The current Miagatahiko sha structure dates to 1867.

The Yatagarasu is also used in the logo of Japan's national men's and women's football teams. This honors Nachi-Katsuura-born Nakamura Kakunosuke (1878-1906), who first translated the rules of association football into Japanese and worked tirelessly to promote the sport in Japan.

On trouve son effigie un peu partout ici et là dans la région (et ailleurs ?), sous toutes les formes, notamment en plaques votives et bien sûr sous toutes formes de souvenirs.