Archaic mythological term for the land of the dead in Japanese mythology, often associated with Susanoo. Compare with 根の国.
See also: 根の国
In the Kojiki, Ne-no-katasukuni is recorded as the land ruled by Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
Also an archaic term for the underworld in Japanese mythology, but 根の堅州国 is a more specific name for the realm ruled by Susanoo.
Standard kanji spelling for this mythological place name.
Variant with 洲 instead of 州; both are used in historical texts.
The name is composed of 根 (ne, 'root'), の (no, possessive particle), 堅 (kata, 'hard, firm'), 州 (su, 'sandbank, land'), and 国 (kuni, 'country'). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it appears in ancient Japanese texts as a mythical underworld.