2 PROLOGUE

Long ago, when the world was still young, the earth a lively sphere under the heavens, the sea a wet divide amongst lands. From it first they rose and later form the land was an island, from the island came the trees and from the trees came the people. Then the heavenly goddess was with child and when the time to bear was at hand, Jinmu a son was received, Jinmu the son gave the earth another son who became king and his son gave the earth another king. Descended from Amaterasu the sun goddess, he returned to heaven with all his children and children's children, eventually, from the line of Emperors, the heavens blessed us with a conqueror, the one who became our great Emperor Kinmei. He took with himself Yamato after the Emperor Senka and in bringing many tribes together transformed it into a strong nation, united all divided lands underneath all heaven from which came our unified Yamato of the people and the people alone, for more than a thousand years to come.