Inaba no Shirousagi Legend

The White Hare of Inaba is a tale of the upper Kojiki (712 CE) in which Onamuji-no-Kami (later Okuninushi-no-Kami) heals a flayed hare on the Inaba coast. Crossing from Oki to Inaba, the white hare lined up wani (sea creatures) by trickery to walk across their backs; the last wani saw through the ruse and pulled off the hare's skin. Brothers, the Yasogami, on their way to court Yagami-hime, told the suffering hare to bathe in salt water and dry in the wind, and the pain grew worse. Onamuji-no-Kami, arriving last as their pack carrier, told the hare to wash in fresh water and roll on the pollen of cattail (kaba). The hare recovered and foretold that Yagami-hime would choose Onamuji rather than his brothers. The site is the White Hare Coast in Tottori, Tottori Prefecture; the offshore Mitarashi Pond and the headland Ketazaki preserve the place names. Hakuto Shrine enshrines the hare; the coast was designated a national scenic spot and natural monument in 1937 (Agency for Cultural Affairs database). Motoori Norinaga's Kojiki-den provides the close commentary.