We touched on Japanese mythology awhile back, skimming over the several ways in which crows and ravens have spiralled their way into Japanese art, culture, and religion throughout the centuries. With World Cup fever sweeping the land, the "Samurai Blue" color of Japan's national soccer team can be seen everywhere. Equally familiar is the team's black crow emblem. Few people,

One of the oldest symbols in Japanese mythology is the 3-Legged Bird, called Yatagarasu (八咫烏) in Japanese. This legendary bird was said to have led the Emperor Jimmu from Kumano no kuni (熊の国), which is present-day Wakyama Prefecture, to Yamato no kuni (大和国), which is present-day Nara Prefecture. The three-legged (or "tripedal") bird is a creature found in various mythologies