Yatagarasu is a mythical raven aided Emperor Jinmu on his eastern expedition and a three legged crow inhabiting the sun in Chinese mythology. It is also shown on the official uniform of Japan National Football Team.
Why it has three legs? There are several stories. Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine says that three legs mean gods of heaven and earth, natural environment and human race. All of those are brothers born from the sun. Some people say that three legs mean three powerful Kumano families, Enomoto family, Ui family and Fujishiro-Suzuki family. Some people say that three legs came from the shrine crest of three comma-shaped figures in a circle which shrines worship the goddess of the sun who serves the sun god.
The Shinto gateway with Yatagarasu is located in old Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine place. In the past, Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine was located in a river island surrounded by three rivers, Kumano River, Iwata River and Otonashi River. In 1889, many of the buildings of Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine collapsed by heavy flooding of Kumano River. The buildings without damage were relocated to the current place.
Kumano area lets us be in mood to worship God and we can easily understand why this area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” in 2004.
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