Emperor Jimmu (Kamuyamato Iwarehiko)

Emperor Jimmu is the legendary founder of the Japanese imperial dynasty and the first human emperor in the mythological genealogy that traces the imperial line back to Amaterasu. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he led a great eastern expedition (Jimmu Tosei) from Hyuga in Kyushu to the Yamato region, overcoming numerous enemies and supernatural obstacles along the way.

During his journey, a golden kite (or crow) identified as Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow sent by Amaterasu, guided his forces through the treacherous mountains of the Kii Peninsula. After defeating the local chieftains, Jimmu established his palace at Kashihara in Yamato Province and ascended the throne in what the traditional chronology dates to 660 BCE—a date regarded by modern scholars as legendary rather than historical.

Kashihara Jingu, established in 1890 at the traditional site of Jimmu's palace, is his principal shrine. His narrative serves as the bridge between the Age of the Gods and the historical imperial succession.