Land of fertility (land of fire) - Hinokuni

Japanese: 肥の国(火の国) - ひのくに

One of the ancient Kyushu region names. It refers to the area that later became Hizen Province, Higo Province, and the present-day Kumamoto, Saga, and Nagasaki prefectures. In the Kojiki, the chapter on the creation of the country, Tsukushi Island is described as having one body and four faces, and Hi Province is seen as one of them. The Nihon Shoki records the origin of the place name, saying that when Emperor Keikō's ship was having difficulty docking in the dark of night, he saw the light of a fire in the distance and was able to safely reach land, so Toyomura in Yatsushiro Prefecture was named Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire). The Hizen no Kuni Fudoki also records the legend that when Takeo-gumi, the ancestor of Hi no Kimi, defeated Tsuchigumo, a mysterious fire fell from the sky, and the place was named Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire).

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

古代の九州の地域名の一つ。のちの肥前国，肥後国，現在の熊本，佐賀，長崎の各県に当たる地域を指す。《古事記》国生みの段に筑紫島が身一つにして面（おも）四つありとするが，その一つに肥国が見える。《日本書紀》には，景行天皇の船が，夜暗くして着岸が困難であったとき，遥かに火の光を見て無事陸に着くことができたので，その地八代県（あがた）豊村を火の国と名づけたという地名由来伝承をのせる。また《肥前国風土記》には，肥君らの祖，健緒組が土蜘蛛（つちぐも）を討ったとき，不知火（しらぬい）が天から降ったため，火の国としたという伝承をのせている。

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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