Read, reflect, pray
Nihon Shoki: Isotakeru and the green mountains
Nihon Shoki · Story 10 of 17
五十猛神と、青い山々
Two variant accounts of spreading tree seeds.
English translation of this site’s published story summary and reading notes. This is a selected reading guide, not a complete translation of the ancient chronicle.
A variant account (issho, introduced as “one writing says”) is a different tradition preserved beside the main narrative. It is labeled separately below.
Variant account (issho)
Book 1, section 8 variant 4
Susanoo descends to Soshimori in Silla with his child Isotakeru but does not remain; they sail east to Izumo. The account continues with the sword obtained by slaying the serpent entrusted to Amenofukine, a fifth-generation descendant, to present in heaven.
Isotakeru brings tree seeds from heaven and sows them from Tsukushi throughout the land, creating green mountains. This variant praises his achievement and identifies him as a deity settled in Kii.
Variant account (issho)
Book 1, section 8 variant 5
Another variant turns Susanoo’s body hair into cedar, cypress, and other trees, assigning uses such as boats and palace timber. Isotakeru, Ōyatsuhime, and Tsumatsuhime spread the seeds and go to Kii.
Compare with the Kojiki
Variant 4 has Susanoo descend to Silla with Isotakeru before crossing to Izumo; variant 5 has Isotakeru and two other deities spread tree seeds. The Kojiki’s serpent-slaying story contains neither the descent to Silla nor this seed-spreading plot.
The great serpent and the palace at Suga →Connected figures
Names and relationships in a chronicle may differ from later traditions. Each figure’s introduction identifies its sources.
The spelling 枛津姫命 is checked against the Northeast Asian History Foundation’s public materials. Wikisource has 採津姫命 at this point, a difference in written form.
Sources and edition (3)
- 『日本書紀』原文（Wikisource翻刻） — 巻第一・第八段 一書第四
- 『日本書紀』原文（Wikisource翻刻） — 巻第一・第八段 一書第五
- 東北アジア歴史財団 — 日本書紀・神代上 第八段一書第五（神名の表記）
English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.