Prince Yamatotakeru, originally Prince Ousu (小碓命, おうすのみこと) was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tenno or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. One of his sons later became Chūai, traditionally counted as the 14th Emperor of Japan. His historical existence is uncertain but those books date his life to the 4th century AD. Details are different between the two books and the version in Kojiki is assumed to be loyal to the older form of this legend. Prince Ousu slew his elder brother Ōusu (大碓命, おおうすのみこと) and his father, the emperor Keikō, feared his brutal temperament. The father plotted to have his son die in battle and sent him to the Izumo Province, today the eastern part of the Shimane Prefecture and then the land of Kumaso, today Kumamoto Prefecture. But Ousu succeeded in defeating his enemies, in the latter case by dressing as a maid servant attendant at a drinking party (see image right). One of the enemies he defeated praised him and gave him the title Yamatotakeru, meaning The Brave of Yamato. But Emperor Keikō's mind was unchanged. Keikō sent Yamato Takeru to the eastern land whose people disobeyed the imperial court. Yamatotakeru met his aunt Princess Yamato, the highest priestess of Amaterasu in Ise Province. His father attempted to kill him with his own hands, however Princess Yamato showed him compassion and lent him a holy sword named Kusanagi no tsurugi which Susanoo, the brother god of Amaterasu found in the body of the great serpent, Yamata no Orochi. Yamatotakeru went to the eastern land. He lost his wife Ototachibanahime during a storm, when she sacrificed herself to soothe the anger of the sea god. He defeated many enemies in the eastern land, and legend has it that he and a local old man composed the first renga in the Kai Province and their theme was Mount Tsukuba (now in the Ibaraki Prefecture). In return he blasphemed a local god of Mount Ibuki in the border of the Ōmi Province and Mino Province. The god cursed him with disease and he fell ill. Yamatotakeru died somewhere in the Ise Province. According to the legend the name of Mie Prefecture was derived from his final words. After death his soul turned into a great white bird and flew away. His tomb in Ise is known as the Mausoleum of the White Plover.
Yamato Takeru in popular culture
- The story of Yamato Takeru was turned into a live action movie loosely based on this prince. However, the movie was a fantasy/sci-fi movie about magic, monsters, love, and mecha. Just like the legend he was famous for being a warrior and also given the title "Yamatotakeru," but the main focus of the plot was to defeat an eight-headed dragon.
- Yamato Takeru was also featured as an anime series about a human boy living amongst human-like aliens and acquired a powerful robot with a sword. Just like the movie he has similar necklace in the live action movie, a sword, and a large mech robot to take on an eight-headed dragon.
- In Digimon Adventure and its sequel, Digimon Adventure 02, two of the main characters are brothers named Yamato and Takeru (they were given the nicknames "Matt" and "T.K." in the English version). The brothers have no relation to the original Yamato Takeru, and are merely named after him.
- The third volume of Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix series features a somewhat de-mythologized version of Yamato Takeru as its protagonist, but aside from his adventure in Kumaso, the book's story bears little resemblance to the original legend.
- An ANBU agent in the popular Anime Series Naruto Shippuuden is given the codename Yamato by Tsunade(Naruto) and first appears in episode 34 when summoned to temporarily replace Kakashi Hatake on a mission to capture a ninja with information about the missing Legendary Sannin Orochimaru(Naruto).
