First+Emperor

__Background Reading #1:__ The Japanese tell this myth about the beginning of the world: Long ago the islands of Japan did not exist. There was only ocean. Then the first god and goddess looked down from the heavens and saw a long, colorful rainbow streaking over the beautiful ocean. They decided to use the rainbow as a bridge to descend to the earth. When the god and goddess reached the end of the rainbow, the god lowered his jeweled spear into the ocean. He swirled the spear around and lifted out the point. Tiny water drops fell from the tip of the spear, and as they hit the ocean, they turned into islands. These magic islands became known as Japan.
 * __Jimmu, the First Emperor__ **
 * The Creation: **

The first god and goddess lived on Japan for many ages. They blessed it with beautiful forests, mountains, and rivers. They had a daughter – Amaterasu, who became the goddess of the sun. Amaterasu in turn had children, and some of these were humans. The Japanese believe that Amaterasu’s great-great grandson was Jimmu, the first emperor ofJapan. He was the founder of the Japanese imperial family. Until recently, all emperors of Japan claimed to be directly related to Jimmu, and thus descendants of the Gods.
 * The First Emperor: **

To prove that Jimmu was a divinely chosen as emperor, the gods gave him three treasures. These treasures were always supposed to be kept by Japan’s emperors. The first treasure was the sun goddess Amaterasu’s mirror. This represented the emperor’s connection with the gods, since by looking at his own reflection, the emperor was looking at the gods. The second treasure was a mighty sword, which represented the emperor’s strength to lead his people. The last treasure was a priceless jewel taken from the steps of heaven. This jewel represented the emperor’s great wisdom. With such proof, no one could ever doubt that the emperor of Japan was truly related to the gods.
 * The Three Treasures: **

Before Jimmu, a different race of people inhabited Japan. They were called the Ainu (eye-noo), and looked very different from present-day Japanese people. The Ainu were tall, white-skinned, and many had beards. Jimmu led his armies to defeat the Ainu, whom he considered hairy white barbarians. About 660 B.C., he defeated the Ainu, and exiled them to the northern island of Hokkaido, where a few thousand still live today. After that, Jimmu was the sole ruler of all Japan.
 * Battles with the Ainu: **

Mostly likely, Jimmu was a real person. For many centuries, the Japanese believed that their emperor really was a descendant of the gods. After World War II, when the United States defeated Japan, Emperor Hirohito was forced to renounce his claim that he was divine. Emperor Hirohito died in 1989, and today his son is the emperor of Japan.
 * Jimmu’s Heritage: **

__** Questions for Jimmu **__


 * 1) According to the old myth, how did the gods create Japan?
 * 2) How did Japan ’s imperial family start?
 * 3) Who was Amaterasu?
 * 4) What were the three treasures given to Jimmu, and what did they symbolize?
 * 5) Where was the magic jewel taken from?
 * 6) What was the main purpose of the three treasures?
 * 7) Who were the Ainu?
 * 8) Where do the Ainu live today?
 * 9) In approximately what year did Jimmu unify Japan?
 * 10) Who was the last emperor to claim he was descended from the gods, and why was he forced to renounce that claim?