25/08/2026
The Origins of Japanese Culture 1
Takachiho, Kyushu and the Ancient Story of Tenson Kōrin
Japan has a rich history and culture. Today, Japanese matcha, food, knives and traditional crafts are enjoyed by people around the world. But behind these products lies a much longer story.
At Iwata Japan Shop, we would like not only to introduce Japanese products, but also to explore some of the history, places and traditions behind them.
And perhaps there is no better place to begin than Kyushu.
Two Island Nations
Japan and Britain are, of course, very different countries. Yet there are some interesting similarities.
Both are island nations situated just off a large continental landmass. Throughout their histories, both have had to respond to powerful political, military and cultural forces from the continent.
Geopolitical writers such as Peter Zeihan often emphasise the idea that geography places constraints on how nations develop. Geography does not determine everything, but it can influence the choices available to a country.
Britain experienced this directly when the Roman invasion of AD 43 eventually brought much of Britain into the Roman Empire.
Japan followed a very different path. It was never conquered by a Chinese dynasty, but for centuries its development was profoundly influenced by Chinese civilisation and by the changing balance of power in East Asia.
China gave Japan much more than political influence. Writing, Buddhism, philosophy, systems of government and even the tradition of recording history were all profoundly influenced by ideas that travelled to Japan from the Asian continent, often through the Korean Peninsula.
So, if we want to explore the origins of Japan, surprisingly, we cannot look only at Japanese historical records.
We also have to look at China.
Looking for Ancient Japan in Chinese History
China developed a tradition of recording history many centuries before Japan produced its surviving national histories.
One of the great works of Chinese historiography is the Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian, compiled by Sima Qian around the first century BC.
Over time, China developed a remarkable tradition in which the history of previous dynasties was recorded and compiled for later generations.
And within some of these Chinese records, we find something particularly fascinating:
references to ancient Japan.
One of the most important is generally known in Japan as the Gishi Wajinden (魏志倭人伝) — the Account of the People of Wa contained within the Chinese Records of the Three Kingdoms.
Written centuries before Japan's Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, it describes the people and communities of Wa, the name used in Chinese sources for the people of the Japanese archipelago.
It also describes the famous Queen Himiko, who ruled a kingdom called Yamatai and sent envoys to the Chinese state of Wei in the third century.
Exactly where Yamatai was located remains one of the great debates of ancient Japanese history.
Was it in Kyushu? Or was it in the Kinai region around present-day Nara?
The debate continues today.
And this is one reason why Kyushu is such an interesting place from which to begin exploring the origins of Japan.
Japan Begins to Write Its Own Story
Japan was absorbing ideas and institutions from China while developing its own increasingly centralised state.
Early attempts to compile historical records are associated with Prince Shōtoku in the early seventh century, although those records have not survived.
Later in the seventh century, during the reign of Emperor Tenmu, a major effort was made to organise traditions concerning Japan's past and the Imperial lineage.
The historical background is important.
East Asia was undergoing enormous political change. The powerful Sui and then Tang dynasties had transformed China, while Japan was deeply involved in political and military events on the Korean Peninsula.
In 663, Japanese forces supporting Baekje suffered a major defeat against the forces of Tang China and Silla at the Battle of Baekgang.
For an island nation facing powerful states across the sea, questions of political unity, national identity and the legitimacy of its rulers were becoming increasingly important.
Against this background, recording Japan's origins was not simply about preserving old stories.
History also had political significance.
The process eventually gave us two extraordinary works: the Kojiki, completed in 712, and the Nihon Shoki, completed in 720.
They remain essential sources for understanding how ancient Japan understood its gods, its rulers and its own origins.
From Heaven to Kyushu
Among the most important stories recorded in these ancient chronicles is Tenson Kōrin (天孫降臨) — the descent of the heavenly descendant to earth.
According to Japanese mythology, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, descended from the heavenly realm to the earthly world.
And where did he descend?
Kyushu.
The precise geographical interpretation of the ancient texts is not straightforward, and different traditions exist. But Takachiho in Miyazaki is one of the places most strongly associated with these ancient myths, while Takachiho-no-mine in the Kirishima mountains is another important traditional location connected with Tenson Kōrin.
When we recently travelled through Kyushu, we visited Takachiho in Miyazaki.
Today, it is famous for its spectacular gorge and waterfalls. But once you know the stories associated with the area, Takachiho becomes more than simply a beautiful tourist destination.
It connects the landscape of modern Japan with stories that Japanese people have passed down for well over a thousand years.
Why Kyushu?
Kyushu will appear many times in this series.
Its location close to the Korean Peninsula and the Asian continent made it one of Japan's important gateways to the outside world. People, technologies, religions, ideas — and sometimes armies — crossed the seas around Kyushu.
Much later, Kyushu would again play an extraordinary role in Japan's encounters with the outside world, including its relationship with Britain.
That is a story we will return to.
And Kyushu is also one of Japan's great tea-producing regions.
So eventually, our journey through mythology, history and culture will also bring us to the tea fields of southern Kyushu — and, of course, to Matcha.
But first, there are many more stories to tell.
Two island nations, two very different histories — but perhaps geography gave Britain and Japan more in common than we might expect.
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