Onogoro-jima Island (an island in a Japanese myth) (オノゴロ島)
Onogoro-jima Island (also called Onokoro-jima Island) is an island appearing in a Japanese myth. This island is where Izanagi and Izanami's giving birth to lands and gods took place. Onogoro-jima Island is written in Chinese characters as 淤能碁呂島 in "Kojiki" (Records of Ancient Matters), and 磤馭慮島 in "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan).
Izanagi and Izanami stood on the Ame no Ukihashi (the Heavenly floating bridge) in heaven (in Takamanohara [the plain of high heaven] in the "Kojiki") and stuck the Ame no nuboko (the heavenly jeweled spear) into the chaos under the heaven to stir with a sound of 'koworo koworo,' then lifted the spear up. Then, brine dripped from the tip of the spear, accumulating and then becoming an island. This is said to be the Onogoro-jima Island.
The two gods got off the Onogoro-jima Island and built Ame no mi hashira (heavenly pillar) to give birth to islands and gods.
It is general to interpret 'Onogoro-jima Island' to mean 'island that took form on its own.'
However, there is another theory saying that the word is derived from the imitative sound, 'koworo koworo,' made when they stirred the world under heaven with Ame no nuboko spear.
Onogoro-jima Island is widely considered to be an imaginary island, but it is a real island in a theory. The basis for it is the following poem, composed by the Emperor Nintoku in the "Kojiki."
Standing on the headland of Naniwa and looking at the country I possess, I see Awashima Island, Onogoro-jima Island and the island of Ajimasa where the binro (Chinese fan palm, Livistona chinensis) grows, and I see Saketsu-shima Island as well.'
Standing on the headland of Naniwa and looking at the country I possess, I see Awashima Island, Onogoro-jima Island and the island of Ajimasa where the binro (Chinese fan palm, Livistona chinensis) grows, and I see Saketsu-shima Island as well. Standing on the headland of Naniwa and looking at the country I possess, I see Awashima Island, Onogoro-jima Island and the island of Ajimasa where the binro (Chinese fan palm, Livistona chinensis) grows, and I see Saketsu-shima Island as well.
The followings are islands that have been regarded as the Onogoro-jima Island:
Nushima Island, located in the Kii Channel. Okinoshima Island, among the Tomogashima Islands in the Kitan Strait.
Awaji-shima Island
Nishijima Island, located in the Sea of Harima
Nokonoshima Island
Oronoshima Island
Iki Island
In the Awaji-shima Island, there is the Onokorojima-jinja Shrine in Minamiawaji City, and also the Izanagi-jingu Shrine, which is worshipped the two gods, in Awaji City.
However, there is a theory saying that 'the island of Ajimasa' in the Emperor Nintoku's poem refers to an island where binro, a plant belonging to the palm family, grows.
It also says that because binro grows only in subtropical regions, this island here should be interpreted as 'a faraway island.'
According to this theory, he tried to express an expanse of time and space by mentioning the Awashima and Onogoro-jima Islands that appear in the myths.
(In other words, this theory regards Onogoro-jima Island as an imaginary island.)