Ōkuninushi
| Ōkuninushi | |
|---|---|
God of nation-building, agriculture, medicine, and protective magic | |
Ōkuninushi, here portrayed as a wise old nobleman, with The White Hare of Inaba that he saved | |
| Other names | Ōanamuchi / Ōanamuji / Ōnamuji-no-Kami (大穴牟遅神) Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神) |
| Japanese | 大国主神 |
| Major cult center | Izumo Taisha, Ōmiwa Shrine and others |
| Color | Black |
| Texts | Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Izumo Fudoki and others |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Ame-no-Fuyukinu and Sashikuniwakahime (Kojiki) Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Kushinadahime (Nihon Shoki) |
| Siblings | Unnamed eighty brothers |
| Consort | Yagamihime, Suseribime, Nunakawahime,Takiribime, Kamuyatatehime, Torimimi (Totori), and others |
| Children | Kinomata (Kimata), Shitateruhime, Ajisukitakahikone, Kotoshironushi, Takeminakata and others |
Ōkuninushi (大国主; historical orthography: オホクニヌシ, 'Ohokuninushi'), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (Oho(a)namuchi) or Ō(a)namochi (Oho(a)namochi) among other variants, is a kami (divine figure) in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the myth cycle recorded in the Kojiki (c. 712) and the Nihon Shoki (720) alongside the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother, the wild god Susanoo, who is reckoned to be either Ōkuninushi's distant ancestor or father. In these texts, he is portrayed as the head of the kunitsukami (gods of the earth) and the original ruler of the lush terrestrial world, Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (葦原中国).
In an event called the kuni-yuzuri, the amatsukami (heavenly deities), led by Amaterasu, demanded that Ōkuninushi relinquish his rule over the land. He agreed to their terms and withdrew into the netherworld (幽世, kakuriyo), which was given to him to rule over in exchange.
The next event was the Tenson Kōrin: Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi descended from heaven to govern Ashihara no Nakatsukuni and became the ancestor of the Imperial House of Japan.
Ōkuninushi is closely associated with the Izumo Province (now Shimane Prefecture) in western Japan; indeed, the myth of his surrender to the amatsukami may reflect the subjugation and absorption of this area by the Yamato Kingship based in what is now Nara Prefecture. Aside from the Kojiki and the Shoki, the imperially-commissioned gazetteer report (Fudoki) of this province, dating from the early 7th century, contain many myths concerning Ōkuninushi (there named 'Ōanamochi') and related deities. Myths which feature Ōkuninushi or deities equated with him are also found in the Fudoki of other provinces, such as those of Harima (now southwestern Hyōgo Prefecture). He is also known for his romantic escapades with several goddesses, which resulted in many divine offspring, including the gods Kotoshironushi and Takeminakata.
He is enshrined in many shrines throughout Japan, with the Izumo-taisha in Shimane being the most famous and preeminent. The sectarian group Izumo-taishakyo, based at this shrine, considers Ōkuninushi its central deity and main focus of worship. He was also syncretized with the Buddhist deity Daikokuten in the shinbutsu-shūgō system prevalent before the Meiji era.