Kamuyaimimi no Mikoto (神八井耳命)
Kamuyaimimi no mikoto (year of birth unknown; died in May, 578B.C.) was a member of the Imperial family (the royal family), described in the "Kojiki" (The Records of Ancient Matters) and the "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan), etc. He was a prince of the Emperor Jinmu, and his mother was Himetataraisuzuhime no mikoto. His maternal half-brothers were Hikoyai no mikoto (he is described as a son in the "Shinsen Shojiroku" [Newly Compiled Register of Clan Names and Titles of Nobility]) and the Emperor Suizei.
After the death of the Emperor Jinmu (his father), Tagishimimi no mikoto (his older brother by a concubine), who had been in the political world for a long time, schemed to ascend the throne. To fulfill this trick, Tagishimimi no mikoto plotted to kill his younger brothers. Kamununakawamimi no mikoto (later the Emperor Suizei) and Kamiyaimimi no mikoto scented out this plot from their mother's poem. They attacked Tagishimimi no mikoto who was in a large mattamore in Kataoka (Oji-cho, Kitakatsuragi County, Nara Prefecture), and successfully killed him. On this occasion, Kamuyaimimi was shaking with fear, and was unable to shoot an arrow. Instead, Kamununakawamimi no mikoto shot an arrow toward Tagishimimi no mikoto and killed him. Kamuyaimimi was so deeply ashamed of this blunder that at the enthronement of his younger brother, he decided to help the new Emperor by administering religious matters. He passed away three years after that. Records say that he was buried in a tomb located at the northern slope of Mt. Unebi. Yahata-jinja Shrine (which has long been called Yai-jinja Shrine) in Yamamoto-cho, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture is considered to be a place related to this legend.
According to the "Kojiki," "Shinsen Shojiroku," "Sendai Kujihongi" (Ancient Japanese History), and "Aso-shi Keizu" (The Family Tree of Aso clan), descendants of Kamuyaimimi no mikoto are ramified widely, and formed the O clan (Family of O no Yasumaro), Chisakobe clan, Sakaibe clan, Hi no kimi, Oita clan, Sasabe clan, Konagaya clan, Iyonokuni no miyatsuko, Kanasashi clan, Iwakinokuni no miyatsuko, Niwa clan, Mamuta no muraji, and others.
He is enshrined as a deity at Onimasumishiritsuhiko-jinja Shrine (Tawaramoto-cho, Shiki County, Nara Prefecture), a shrine commonly professed by the O clan. Adding to that, he is also enshrined at Idate-jinja Shrine (Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture), Shimada-jinja Shrine (Nara City, Nara Prefecture) and other Shikinai-sha (shrines listed in Engishiki laws). As a part of his name, 'kamu,' can be connected to the word 'kamu' which means 'to brew sake,' some shrines enshrine him as a deity who likes drinking.