A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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Dragon-flies
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of the old names of Japan is Akitsu-
shima, meaning " The Island of the
Dragon-fly," and written with the char-
acter representing a dragon-fly,— which insect,
now called tombo, was anciently called ahitsu.
Perhaps this name Akitsushima, " Island of the
Dragon-fly," was phonetically suggested by a
still older name for Japan, also pronounced Akit-
sushima, but written with difi^erent characters,
and signifying " The Land of Rich Harvests."
However this may be, there is a tradition that
the Emperor Jimmu, some twenty-six hundred
years ago, ascended a mountain to gaze over the
province of Yamato, and observed to those who
accompanied him that the configuration of the
land was like a dragon-fly licking its tail. Because
of this august observation the province of Ya-
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