One of the
treasures of Japan, the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi or "
Grasscutter" is a sword believed to have been found by the
God of the storms,
Susanoo in the tail of a slayed 8-headed serpent,
Yamata no Orochi. Originally this sword was named
Murakumo-no-tsurugi, meaning "Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven."
The sword earned the new name in 110 AD, Kusanagi-no-tsurugi, when
Prince Yamato was ambushed by
rebel forces who tried to kill him by setting fire to the field of grass which surrounded him. When attempting to save himself by cutting the grass down he realised the sword had
magical properties which caused a wind to blow away the fire in the same direction the sword was swung. Thus the sword received a new name, "Kusanagi-no-tsurugi," or "Grass-cutting Sword."
The actual sword allegedly is kept in a
Shinto shrine at
Atsuta near
Nagoya. Kusanagi-no-tsurugi is one of 3
national treasures that symbolise Japanese
imperial power.