Yamata no Orochi: Susanoo's Serpent in Izumo

Susanoo comes down to Izumo and finds "a chopstick floating down the River Hi". He takes it as a sign that people must be living nearby, and follows the river upstream to find them. The River Hi is known today as the Hii River, 153 km long, rising on Mount Sentsu. Some readers see the serpent myth as a memory of flood control along this river.

Location precision: The Kojiki names the River Hi but not the exact place where Susanoo saw the chopstick; the pin marks the river in Izumo.

The old man describes the serpent: eight heads and eight tails. Susanoo has sake set out in a vat at each of eight gates. The serpent drinks, falls asleep, and is cut to pieces until the River Hi runs red. Mount Sentsu is named as the scene of the battle, at whose foot Susanoo slew the beast. Today it is a hiking mountain, reached from Shōyama Station on the JR West Hakubi Line.

Location precision: The identification of Mount Sentsu as the battlefield is a later tradition; the Kojiki itself does not name the mountain.

Visitor guidance: Reached from Shōyama Station on the JR West Hakubi Line.

With the serpent dead, Susanoo wins Kushinada's hand in marriage. Yaegaki Shrine is said to stand where he built a house for the couple, which is why it is a shrine of marriage and matchmaking. Visitors can also see the Mirror Pond in the shrine grounds.

Location precision: The shrine's claim to mark the newlyweds' house is local tradition rather than a documented site.

Visitor guidance: An active Shinto shrine in Matsue; the Mirror Pond is in the grounds.

Susa Shrine is identified as the place where Susanoo chose to enshrine his spirit. Its main deity is Susanoo, with his wife Inada-hime, and her parents Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi are also enshrined here as auxiliary deities. Among the sights in the grounds is a 1300-year-old sacred tree.

Location precision: The shrine is traditionally identified with Susanoo's chosen place of enshrinement; this is a tradition, not a proven site.

Visitor guidance: An active Shinto shrine in the Susa area of Izumo.

When Susanoo cut off the middle tail, the blade of his sword snapped off, and inside he found a sword: Kusanagi, now counted among the three imperial regalia of Japan. According to the Kojiki, Atsuta Shrine was founded to house it, and Susanoo is among the gods enshrined there. The sword is allegedly kept here but is not available for public display.

Location precision: Kusanagi's present location cannot be confirmed because the sword is not shown; the pin marks the shrine.

Visitor guidance: An active Shinto shrine in Nagoya; the sword itself is not displayed.