Sotoorihime (衣通姫)
Sotoorihime (or Sotooshihime) is a woman described as exquisitely beautiful in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan). She was also called "Sotooshi no iratsume" or "Sotooshi no okimi." Since she was a very beautiful woman, her name had a meaning that her beauty could beam through her clothes.
She is also said to have been one of the Honcho Sanbijin (the three beautiful women of Imperial Reigns)
Stories recorded about her are different between the Kojiki and Nihonshoki. According to the "Kojiki," "Sotoorihime" was another name of Karu no oiratsume who was a princess of Emperor Ingyo, and she broke a taboo by having an affair with Karu no hitsugi no miko who was her older brother-uterine. As a result, rebelled against by many of his retainers, Karu no hitsugi no miko was overthrown after the demise of Emperor Ingyo and was deported to Iyo Province, where Sotoorihime followed him and the two committed joint suicide (Sotoorihime legend).
According to the "Nihonshoki," she was a younger sister of Emperor Ingyo's empress Oshisaka no onakatsunohime and was called Otohime (youngest princess) and also, she is described as having been a princess in favor with Emperor Ingyo. She, originally living in Sakata, Omi Province, was invited to enter into the imperial court and moved to live in Fujiwara no miya Palace (Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture). But because of the Empress's jealousy, Sotoorihime had to move to Chinu no miya Palace in Kawachi Province (Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture), where the Emperor continued to visit her under the pretext of going hunting. After the Empress remonstrated the Emperor about this and dissuaded him from visiting her, his visit to Sotoorihime became rare.
Identified with Tamatsushima no hime who was enshrined in Kii Province, Sotoorihime is regarded as one of the Waka Sanjin (the Three gods of waka poem). Today, she is jointly enshrined with Wakahirume no mikoto and Empress Jingu at Tamatsushima-jinja Shrine located in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture.