Amenonuhoko

nihongo|Ame-no-nuhoko|天沼矛|"heavenly jewelled spear" is the name given to the naginata in Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial land-mass, "Onōgoro-shima", from the sea. According to the Kojiki, the gods Izanagi and Izanami were responsible for creating the first land. To help them do this, they were given a naginata decorated with jewels, named "Ame-no-nuboko". The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, "Ame-no-ukihashi" ("floating bridge of heaven"), and churned the sea below with the naginata. When drops of salty water fell from the tip, they formed into the first island, "Onōgoro-shima". Izanagi and Izanami then descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island.

The kanji used in "Ame-no-nuboko" properly spell "ame-(no)-numa-hoko", with "numa" meaning "swamp, marsh, or bog" (in Chinese, "zhǎo", "(natural) pond"). This would translate as "heavenly "swamp" spear".

The film The Last Samurai incorrectly identifies that it was a sword which was used to form "Onōgoro-shima". However, it is more likely that the film used the word sword as a means of linkage with the storyline itself.