Yamata no Orochi - or how you can get killed by Sake

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Do you know where the sword of the Japanese emperors, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the three pieces of the imperial regalia, comes from.

Obviously you know it is from Amaterasu, the sun goddess. But where did she get it from?

Short answer: it is a gift from her brother Susanoo who found it stuck in the legendary eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent Yamata no Orochi (八岐大蛇). He killed the serpent after feeding it strong sake. The same method is still used today by some bars - you are lucky, you don't lose your head, just your wallet.

Long answer is told e.g. on Yokai.com, the online database of Japanese ghosts and monsters. Read it here.

Picture is from Wikipedia LINK

You can see the serpent in natura at the Hamada Children’s Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture. Picture

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