Chronicles of Japan

Japanese: 日本記 - にほんぎ

The title of a song from the Kōwaka dance series. It tells the story of the beginning of heaven and earth, the appearance of the gods, and the beginning of Japan. The two deities Izanagi and Izanami lowered their spears to the surface of the ocean to explore Japan, but found nothing. The world arose from each part of their body, and they eventually enumerated the five elements, all contained in the Three Treasures, and explained the principle of the harmony of heaven and earth, saying that the one mind and three views are all empty and without separation. They then lowered their spears again and obtained Awaji Island. The country was born when a drop from the spear landed on the Sanskrit character for Dainichi, which was floating in the ocean, and so the country was called Dai-Nihon-koku.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

幸若舞曲の曲名。天地の始まりと神々出現の次第，日本国の始まりを語る。伊弉諾（いざなき）･伊弉冉（いざなみ）2尊が日本国を開くために大海の面に鉾（ほこ）を下ろして探るが何も当たらない。体の各部分から世界が生じ，やがて五行説を列挙して，すべて三宝に収まり，一心三観みな空にして隔てなしと，天地和合の理を説いて再び鉾を下ろし，淡路島を得る。鉾の滴（したた）りが大海を漂う大日の梵字の上に止まって生じた国のゆえに大日本国という。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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