underworld; land of the dead
Archaic mythological term for the realm of the dead, equivalent to 根の国 (ねのくに). Used in classical texts and Shinto mythology.
See also: 根の国
The Kojiki records that Izanami departed to the underworld.
Compound of 底 (そこ, 'bottom') + の (possessive particle) + 国 (くに, 'land'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it reflects an ancient cosmological view of the underworld as a realm below the earth.