Inahi no Mikoto (稲飯命)

Inahi no mikoto was a member of Japanese Imperial family, who appears in the Japanese Mythology.

In the "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan), his name was written as 稻飯命 (Inahi no mikoto). In the "Kojiki" (The Records of Ancient Matters), his name was written as 稲氷命 or 彦稲氷命 (both of them pronounced as 'Inahi no mikoto,' as well).

It is also said that he was the second (or the third) son of Ugayafukiaezu (a Japanese deity, the father of Emperor Jinmu) and the daughter of Watatsumi no kami (tutelary of the sea), Princess Tamayoribime. His older brother was Itsuse no mikoto, and his younger brothers were Mikenu no mikoto and Wakamikenu no mikoto (Iwarehiko no mikoto). Iwarehiko no Mikoto later became Emperor Jinmu.

According to the "Kojiki," Inahi no mikoto entered into the sea toward Kana no kuni Country, that is to say, toward the ocean. On the other hand, according to the "Nihonshoki," Inahi no mikoto went across the sea with Emperor Jinmu's troops to subdue the east region, but when he was attacked by a storm on the way to Kumano, he railed, 'My ancestors were Tenjin (heavenly gods) and my mother was Watatsumi no kami (tutelary of the sea), and yet why on earth you want to torment me, not only on the land but also in the sea?' and he entered the sea drawing a sword, and turned into Sahimochi no kami (deity Sahimochi). It is said that Sahimochi means 'wani' (shark) or 'shachi' (killer whale). In the myth of 'Yamasachihiko and Umisachihiko' compiled in the "Kojiki," there is an anecdote: Hitohiro-wani (Hitohiro shark) accompanied Hoori no mikoto (known as Yamasachihiko) on the way back to Ashihara no nakatsukuni (literally 'Central Land of Reed Plains,' which refers to the country or location of Japan) from Watatsumi no miya (the palace of the tutelary of the sea), and on parting with each other, Hoori no mikoto gave Hitohiro-wani (literally 'shark of 1.818m,' as 'hitohiro' is a unit of length equivalent to 6-shaku or 1.818m) a knife with a string, which he had carried with him, and hung it to the neck of Hitohiro-wani, to express his gratitude, therefore, Hitohiro-wani became the deity currently known Sahimochi no kami. This story means that Inahi no mikoto transformed into a wani (shark) and went down to his mother's country, country of Watatsumi (tutelary of the sea). The true identity of his aunt Princess Toyotamabime, who was Princess Tamayoribime (his mother) 's older sister, was Yatsuhiro-wani (deity with a figure of more than 9m shark). In this way, the story about him in the "Kojiki" corresponds to that of the "Nihonshoki."

On the other hand, in the section of 'Ukyokobetsunoge shirakunokudari' of "Shinsen Shojiroku" (Newly Compiled Register of Clan Names and Titles of Nobility), there can be found a different theory arguing as 'Inahi no mikoto was the founder and the first King of Silla (ancient Korean kingdom).'
('Silla History' and 'Dakkai Nishikin-ki' [Chronicle of Dakkai Nishikin] in a Korean history book "Samguk Sagi"[History of the Three Kingdoms] indicates a certain relation with this theory, writing that Dakkai Nishikin is the forth King of Silla and the first generation of the Seki clan of the King's bloodline, who was from Tabana-koku Country situated in a distance of one thousand-ri [about 4,000 km] to the northeast of Wakoku [Japan]).

[Original Japanese]