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a son, this heavenly son being called Amatsuhiko-no-Mikoto, i.e., the August Grandson (because he was the grandson of Amaterasu-O-Mikami and Takamimusubi-no-Kami).
It was, then, the intention of Amaterasu-O-Mikami and Takamimusubi-no-Mikoto (Kami) that the August Grandson should be brought up in Heaven above and take charge of the rule of the Central Land of Luxuriant Reed Plains. So the two heavenly messenger gods Futsunushino-Kami (the son of Iwatsu-tsu-me-no-Kami, and now worshipped at Katori in Shimosa Province) and Takemikatsuchi-no-Kami (the son of Mikahayahi-no-Kami, and now worshipped at Kashima in Hitachi Province) descended from the Plain of High Heaven to this land of Japan and completely subdued those who opposed their divine troops.
Onamuchi-no-Kami presented his pacifying spear to the heavenly messenger-gods, and withdrew with his son, Kotoshiro-nushi-no-Kami, saying: “I subdued my foes on the globe with this spear, so in future it will be most useful for the Heavenly Grandson to preserve the country in peace and order. Now, therefore, we shall humbly withdraw before the Heavenly Grandson.” Both Onamuchi-no-Kami and Kotoshironushi-no-Kami thenceforth disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving the two Heavenly Messenger-gods to carry on their work of subduing their hostile powers, and when it was completed they triumphantly reported the result of their mission to the Heavenly Throne. Then the Divine Ancestress Amaterasu-O-Mikami and Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto (Kami) issued an Imperial Edict, (28) saying, “The Luxuriant Land of Reed Plains is a country which
