Tamanooya no Mikoto (玉祖命)
Tamanooya no Mikoto was a god (Shinto) appearing in Japanese mythology. He was an ancestral deity of Tamatsukuribe (the jewel-making clans). He appears only in Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). A deity of this name does not appear in Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) while there appears an identical deity.
Descriptions in mythology
At the time of Iwatogakure (the hiding of Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, in the heavenly rock cave), he created Yasakani no magatama (the jewel of Yasakani). Upon Tensonkorin (the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess), he was ordered to descend onto the earth to accompany Ninigi (the grandson of the Sun Goddess) as one of Itsutomonoo (five deities later to become ancestral deities of the five clans) along with Amenokoyane, Futodama, Amenouzume and Ishikoridome.
In the story of Iwatogakure in Nihonshoki, the one who created Yasakani no magatama is 'Toyotama no Kami,' the forefather of the jewel-making clans (Arufumi [supplement volumes of explanatory notes in Nihonshoki] Vol. 2) or 'Amenoakarutama no Mikoto,' a child of Izanagi (the divine creator of Japan) and the forefather of the jewel-making clans (Arufumi Vol. 3). As both are regarded as ancestral deities of the jewel-making clans, they are probably identical to Tamanooya no Mikoto.
Explanation
The name of this deity means an ancestral deity of the jewel-making clans as well as a maker of Magatama (a comma-shaped bead).
As he was the god of tama or magatama (jewels), he was worshiped by jewel and watch traders or makers (because crystal is used for them), and also by glasses and camera traders or makers because a lens is sometimes called 'tama' (jewels) in Japanese.
He is enshrined in the Tamanooya-jinja Shrine (Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), Ishitsukuri tamatsukuri-jinja Shrine (Ika-gun, Shiga Prefecture), etc.