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2024, The Year of Wood-younger/Serpent

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The Kojiki (The Old Records, 712AD) said, “God Susanowo, who descended on Torihatsu on the upper stream of Hikawa River in Izumo Province, lured Yamata no Orochi (Eight-headed big serpent) into eight buckets full of strong sake and slayed the serpent with his Tozuka sword, thus saving Princess Kushinada. He then presented the Kusanagi sword which came out of the serpent’s tail to Goddess Amaterasu, married the princess and lived in the land of Suga.” This scene has been a favourite depiction of painters and carvers since ancient times.

Portraits of God Susanowo and Princess Inada (alias Kushinada) that are considered to be the oldest paintings in Japan, from the Six god portraits held in the treasure house of Yaegaki Shrine, Izumo. The shrine's tradition says that the portraits were painted by Kose Kanaoka in 893 AD but the tree-ring measurement of the boards suggests they were painted around the beginning of the Kamakura period. Copied from "Jinbun Kenkyuroku (lit. Kenbunroku Humanities Research Records)", https://cultural-experience.blogspot.com/2017/09/blog-post_31.html. [1]

I. Paintings

(1) Toyokuni Utagawa, "God Susanowo - Eight-headed Big Serpent", ca. 1800, Held by The Tokyo National Museum. [2]

(2) Shuntei Katsukawa, "God Susanowo and Eight-headed Big Serpent", Thre pieces in one, Early Bunsei Era(1818-24), Held by The Ota Memorial Museum of Art. [3]

(3) 歌川国芳（1798–1861) 「須佐之男命」，武勇見立十二支 素盞雄尊[4]。

(4) Honen Tsukioka, "Eight-headed Big Serpent for the section of God Susanowo in The Consice Japanese History (Textbook)", 1887 [5]

(5) Matsutoshi Suzuki, "Slaying of Eight-headed Big Serpent", 1871, Held by Kyoto Pref. Culture Museum [6]

(6) Matsutoshi Suzuki, "God Susanowo in 'Emperor Meiji-Susanowo Partition' ", 18589. Private collection. [7]

II. Carvings

(1) The carvings on the wainscot of Yakumo Shrine, Iwatsuki, Saitama[6]. Visited on 23.11.2024, The day of Niiname Festival.

(Left) "Slaying of Eight-headed Big Serpent by God Susanowo", Rear-side wainscot. Edo Period, Carver unknown. [8] Camera: Pentax K-3III/TAMRON SP AF10-24mm F3.5-4.5 DiII. Settings: ISO=3200, F=5.6 (fixed), T=1/25 sec (auto).

(Right) "Princess Kushinada", Left-side wainscot. Edo Period, Carver unknown. Camera and Settings, the same as above.

The front view of Yakumo Shrine. The small hut to house the main shrine is seen in the middle. Camera: Pentax K-3III/TAMRON SP AF10-24mm F3.5-4.5 DiII.

(2) The carvings on the wainscot of a mobile shrine in Yakumo Shrine, Chichibu, Saitama [7] . Visited on 13.11.2024 and 28.11.2024.

"Slaying of Eight-headed Big Serpent by God Susanowo", Rear-side wainscot of the moving shrine. Edo Period, Carver unknown.[9] The inside of the hut to house the movong shrine was completely dark and the distance from the carving and the rear wall of the hut was as narrow as 40 cm. Then, asking my companion to light up the object by means of an LED light, a dozen of shots were taken blindly without viewing the finder. The photograph shown is one of them for which the far-and-near and the light-and-dark etc. have been adjusted.

Camera: Pentax K-3III/TAMRON SP AF10-24mm F3.5-4.5 DiII, Settings: ISO=1600, F=3.5 (fixed), Focal distance = 10mm, T= 1/125 sec (auto).

The front view of Mizuho Shrine. The hut to house the moving shrineis seen behind the main shrine in the middle of the gate. Camera: Pentax K-3III/TAMRON SP AF10-24mm F3.5-4.5 DiII。

Acknowledgements

I thank Mr. Ryosaku Hagiwara, the maneger of Yakumo Shrine, Iwatsuki, who kindly guided me and presenting the historical documents of the shrine. Tanks are also due to Rev. Teruyuki Miyashita who guided me twice to Mizuho Shrine, Chichibu, and told me of the origin and history of the shrine.

References and notes