Archaic mythological term for the land of the dead or the realm beneath the earth, appearing in classical Japanese texts such as the Kojiki. Often encountered in the compound 根の堅州国 (ねのかたすくに).
See also: 根の堅州国
In the Kojiki, Ne-no-Katasukuni is depicted as the land of the dead.
underworld; netherworld
Standard modern kanji spelling for this mythological place name.
Variant spelling using 洲 instead of 州; both are encountered in mythological texts.
The name is of ancient origin, appearing in early Japanese mythology. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is conventionally associated with the idea of a 'hard land' or 'firm country' beneath the earth.