The are the imperial regalia of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and consist of the

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

, the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary

virtue A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...

s: valour (the sword),

wisdom Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...

(the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).ミニ講話宮司のいい話
(in Japanese). The actual historical status of these legendary treasures is unknown as they are intentionally kept from public view to symbolize authority. Representations of the regalia are used in masakaki in many

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

rituals.

Legend

According to legend, these treasures were brought to Earth by Ninigi-no-Mikoto, legendary ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, when his grandmother, the sun goddess Amaterasu, sent him to pacify Japan. These treasures were eventually said to be passed down to Emperor Jimmu, who was the first

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

and Ninigi's great-grandson. Traditionally, they were a symbol of the emperor's divinity as a descendant of Amaterasu, confirming his legitimacy as paramount ruler of Japan. When Amaterasu hid in a cave from her brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto, thus plunging the world in darkness, the goddess Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto hung the mirror and jewels outside the cave and lured her out of hiding. Upon emerging from the cave, Amaterasu was so startled by her reflection in the mirror that it gave the gods an opportunity to extract her. Susanoo later presented the sword Kusanagi to Amaterasu as a token of apology; he had obtained it from the body of an eight-headed serpent, Yamata no Orochi. At the conclusion of the Genpei War in 1185, the six-year-old Emperor Antoku and the Regalia were under the control of the

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

. They were present when the Taira were defeated by the rival Minamoto clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, which was fought on boats in the shallow Kanmon Straits. Although there are some medieval texts relating to the loss of the sword, which variously contended that a replica was forged afterwards, or that the lost sword itself was a replica, or even that the sword was returned to land by supernatural forces; replicas of the sword and mirror were actually made as early as the 9th century, and the original sword is considered entrusted to Atsuta Shrine in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

. The importance of the Imperial Regalia to Japan is evident from the declarations made by Emperor

Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

to Kōichi Kido on 25 and 31 July 1945 at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when he ordered the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan to protect them "at all costs".

Role

Since 690, the presentation of these items to the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

by the

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

s at the shrine has been a central element of the enthronement ceremony. This ceremony is not public, and these items are by tradition seen only by the

and certain priests. While their actual locations are not confirmed, it is commonly thought that the sword is located at the Atsuta Shrine in

, the jewel is located at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Kōkyo (the Imperial Palace in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

), and the mirror is located at the Ise Grand Shrine in

Mie Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...

. Their first post-

enthronement appearance occurred during the accession and enthronement of Akihito in 1989 and 1990. Aside from their presence during the abdication of Akihito on 30 April 2019, their latest appearance occurred during the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito. He formally took possession of the regalia in a brief ceremony on 1 May 2019. The items themselves were never revealed during these public occasions as they remained shrouded from view in packages or boxes. When these items are not being used for their ceremonial purpose, their supposed locations are kept off limits to the public. Mikael Adolphson, a professor at Cambridge University, stated that this hidden strategy "adds mystique, and thus, authority, to the objects." He went on to say that Shinto religious tradition is "especially protective" of its symbols. There is a general reluctance in Japan to allow a historical analysis of the regalia as such an assessment could potentially "de-mythologize" the items. Scholars consider the imperial regalia to represent the fusion of Japan's ancient indigenous groups with new arrivals. The three treasures are a symbol that the emperor should unite the ethnic groups without discrimination.

Cultural references

* The phrase "Three Sacred Treasures" is retrospectively applied to durable goods of modern Japan. During a policy address in 2003, then-

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Junichiro Koizumi said that during the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, the "three sacred treasures" for durable goods were the washing machine,

refrigerator A refrigerator, commonly shortened to fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermal insulation, thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to ...

, and the black and white

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and the

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

, air conditioner, and color television set from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. * Alvin and Heidi Toffler's '' Powershift'' use them to symbolize the three kinds of power they distinguish:

force In physics, a force is an influence that can cause an Physical object, object to change its velocity unless counterbalanced by other forces. In mechanics, force makes ideas like 'pushing' or 'pulling' mathematically precise. Because the Magnitu ...

(sword),

wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...

(jewel) and

knowledge Knowledge is an Declarative knowledge, awareness of facts, a Knowledge by acquaintance, familiarity with individuals and situations, or a Procedural knowledge, practical skill. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is oft ...

(mirror).'' Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century'' (1990), Bantam Books, Alvin and Heidi Toffler, . * In '' Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon'', a popular Japanese manga and anime franchise, the three talismans of the Outer Senshi are stylized as a mirror, sword and jewel. When brought together, they manifest the Holy Grail. * In '' Yu Yu Hakusho'' an early episode arc focuses on the theft of three "Artifacts of Darkness" – A soul-stealing jeweled orb, a wish-granting magical mirror, and a demonic sword. * In the '' One Piece'' manga by Eiichiro Oda, the character Kizaru – who has the ability to transmutate into light – has fighting techniques named for each of the Three Sacred Treasures. * In the popular '' King of Fighters'' video game series, the regalia form the icons of the three sacred treasures of the Kusanagi, Yagami and Kagura families. * In '' The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'', the three essential items for travelling in the Dark World are the Magic Mirror, the Moon Pearl, and the Master Sword. * In '' Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood'', the Primal Susano was contained in three treasures sacred to the tortoise-like Kojin of the Ruby Sea; the sword Ame no Murakumo, the mirror Yata-no-Kagami, and the gem Yasakani-no-Magatama. When the three treasures were brought together, Susano was restored and challenged the player to battle. * In '' Noragami'', the shinkis, i.e. spirits that gods use for various tasks and purposes, of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu are called "three sacred treasures"; they are named "Mikagami" (the mirror), "Mitama" (the magatama jewel), and "Mitsurugi" (the sword). * In '' Ōkami'', Amaterasu uses three types of divine instruments based on the three sacred treasures: Reflectors (the mirror), Rosaries (the jewels), and Glaives (the sword). * In '' Naruto'', Orochimaru uses the "Kusanagi Blade" against the third hokage. Itachi is seen using attacks utilizing Yasakani beads and the "Yata Mirror." Itachi also uses the "Totsuka Blade" which is said to be a variant of the Kusanagi Blade. * In Kid Icarus, Pit uses the "Three Sacred Treasures" to beat Medusa. They are the "Arrow of Light", the "Mirror Shield", and the "Wings of Pegasus". * In the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, the "Mikanko" archetype features cards referencing the three sacred treasures: "Ha-Re the Sword", "Ni-Ni the Mirror" and "Hu-Li the Jewel", all of which have names deriving from descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu, in which a fourth card, "Ohime the Manifested", appears to represent. * In the Assassin's Creed Shadows Game, the three sacred treasures are central to the story.

References

{{Authority control Crown jewels Japanese monarchy Japanese mythology Mythological objects National symbols of Japan

Legend

Role

Cultural references

See also

References