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the capital of Japan, and the Imperial Court was established there.

The descendants of both Taoki-Ho-Oi-no-Mikoto and Hikosa-shiri-no-Mikoto, under the guidance of Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto (a descendant of Futotama-no-Mikoto), obtained the needful timber from the mountains, for building the “Mi-Araka” (46) (Imperial Palace), felling the trees with consecrated axes and mattocks. Their success in so building it is often phrased: “Making stout the pillars of the august abode upon the nethermost rock-bottom and raising the cross-beams of the roof to the Plain of High Heaven for the august residence of the sovereign Grandson (47).” Even at the present day we have amongst us the two branches of the Imbe Family, who are descended from those who procured the timber required for the erection of the Imperial Palace, and from those who served as carpenters on that occasion. They are now respectively dwelling at the Miki (48) and Araka villages, in Nagusa-Kori, Ki-i Province. And this proves how important a part the Imbe Family played in the erection of the Imperial Palace there at that early date. By Imperial command Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto, together with all the branches of the Imbe Family, made several sacred treasures—such as mirrors, jewels, spears, shields, paper-mulberry, hemp, etc.

The descendants of Kushi-Akaru-Tama-no-Mikoto made “mihogitama” or august, auspicious, sacred jewels (In archaic Japanese, “mi” may mean “august” or “sacred,” and “hogi” or “hogu” literally means “to congratulate,” hence “mihogi-tama” can be rendered “august, auspicious, sacred jewels”) and their