Japanese mythology includes a vast number of gods, goddesses, and spirits. Most of the stories concern the creation of the world, the foundation of the islands of Japan, and the activities of deities, humans, animals, spirits, and magical creatures...
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Toyotama-hime is the Japanese Goddess of dragons and the sea. She is the daughter of the sea King Ryujin. She lived under the sea until a young hunter named Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto came to the bottom of the sea, looking for a fishing hook that belonged to his brother. He usually hunted in the mountains, and his brother Honosusori-no-Mikoto fished, but they had decided to exchange equipment for a day. Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto lost his brother’s best fishing hook and went under the sea to find it. Toyotama-hime saw him and asked her father to help him in his quest. He found the hook, and also found love with Toyotama-hime and they were married.
After a few years, Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto began to long for the world above the sea. He convinced Toyotama-hime to go with him. She was pregnant with his child and consented, so long as he would promise not to watch when she gave birth. He agreed and they returned to the surface. Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto built a house for them to live in, and it was not long until the time of the birth came. At first, he waited patiently outside, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he peeked inside. He saw a huge black dragon holding a tiny baby. Toyotama-hime, who had changed into her alternate form of the dragon to give birth, was ashamed that her husband had seen her in that form, and she left him and the baby and returned to the sea. She sent her younger sister, Tamayori, to help raise the child. The baby, Hikonagisa-Takeugaya-Fukiaezu-no-Mikoto, grew up to marry his aunt Tamayori, and their son, Kamuyamato-lwarebiko-no-Mikoto, eventually became known as Jimmu-Tenno, the first emperor of Japan.
Toyotama-hime’s name means “luminous jewel” and she is also known as Otohime or the Dragon Princess of the Sea.
