TALES FROM HISTORY

How a Cross-Dressing Prince Ended a Great Tribe

Cave of the Bear-People, Kumaso no Ana

Climbing up a steep path in the forests of Kirishima, in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima, one comes upon an amazing cave with an interesting history.

The path to the cave passes through a wooden Torii gate, hung with a shimenawa rope and shide papers, which symbols purify those who enter and signify the entrance to the realm of the divine.

Long ago, southwestern Japan was inhabited by a fierce people called the Kumaso, led by Kawakami Takeru, who lived in an extensive cave. Kuma means “bear,” and some scholars suggest that these people were called kuma, or “bear-like,” due to their violent interactions or because of the distinctive physical appearance of this ethnic group. So refers to the ancient country that was once southwestern Japan. Kawakami’s name, Takeru, is an honorary title meaning a “brave and valorous person.”

The Cave of the Kumaso

Southern Kyushu is a mountainous region formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. The pyroclastic sediment that makes up its soil is not suitable for growing rice, the main occupation in Japan from the Yayoi Period (roughly 600 BC to 300 AD*).

The Kumaso were said to sweat blood in their efforts to grow rice, half of which was required to be paid as tribute…