Yamato no Kuni no Miyatsuko

Yamato no Kuni no Miyatsuko
Oyamato Shrine, their main shrine
Home province	Yamato Province
Founder	Shinetsuhiko [ja], Ichishi no Nagaochi [ja]

Yamato no Kuni no Miyatsuko was a title held by the clan^[a] who ruled the central region of the later Yamato Province.^[1] Kuni no Miyatsuko were regional rulers subordinate to the Emperor of Japan. After the position was abolished they remained prominent as the priests of Ōyamato Shrine. Other kuni no miyatsuko this happened to include the Izumo clan of Izumo-taisha, the Aso clan of Aso Shrine, the Owari clan of Atsuta Shrine, the Munakata clan [ja] of Munakata Taisha,^[2] and the Amabe clan of Kono Shrine^[3]

Their Ujigami or clan god is Yamato Okunitama of Ōyamato Shrine^[4] Some scholars interpret the kami as being a variant or epithet of Ōmononushi who has much more widespread worship.^[5][6]: 22 There is a complex myth about the origins of modern worship of Yamato Okunitama during the reign of Emperor Sujin.^{[7][8][9][10]}

During Jimmu's Eastern Expedition Saonetsuhiko [ja] was given the position of governor of Yamato Province by Emperor Jimmu.^[11] And Saonetsuhiko became their ancestor.^[12]

There is a complex myth about the reign of Emperor Sujin and its link to the worship of Yamato Okunitama and Amaterasu. There was a crisis during his reign and eventually the worship of Amaterasu and Yamato Okunitama were moved out of the imperial palace to separate shrines.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Worship of Amaterasu moved to Hibara Shrine and then many other shrines called Moto-Ise Shrines [ja] until eventually reaching Ise Jingu.^[5]

By contrast the worship of Yamato Okunitama moved to Oyamato Shrine, near Hibara Shrine and Omiwa Shrine. Yamato Okunitama was first entrusted to a daughter of Emperor Sujin named Nunaki-iri-hime [ja], but shortly afterwards, her health began to fail. It is recorded that she became emaciated and lost all of her hair, which rendered her unable to perform her duties.^[13] These efforts still did not alleviate the ongoing plague, so Sujin decreed that a divination be performed sometime during the 7th year of his reign, that would involve him making a trip to the plain of Kami-asaji, and invoking the eighty myriad deities.^[13]

After the divination, Ichishi no Nagaochi [ja], a descendant of Shinetsuhiko [ja] would conduct the rites pertaining to Okunitama, replacing the emaciated Nunaki-iri-hime.^[5] Ichishi no Nagaochi [ja] would be the ancestor of the Yamato no Kuni no Miyatsuko.^[14]

Agoko no Sukune [ja] was a notable member of the clan and governor of Yamato Province^[15]

• Kuni no miyatsuko
• Princess Yamato Totohi Momoso
• Yamato Okunitama Shrine [ja; simple]

• 日本の苗字7000傑 姓氏類別大観 大倭国造