There are other legends that run in a similar vein {pun intended}. My favorite is best described in a book I just finished reading: Mary Magdalene: Revealed: The First Apostle. Her Feminist Gospel, & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet, by Meggan Watterson.

I do not count myself as a Christian, given current practices. Yet, there is something about the denigration of Mary's story {and every woman's} that speaks to me deeply. I think you'd enjoy th read. And, the return to the heart, which journey we must all take, if anything 'human' is to be sustained going forward.

Thanks for this piece. I do know the Nihon legend as well, and it has always been a favorite.