When Ninigi-no-mikoto (the grandson of Amaterasu-Omikami, the sun goddess) is descending from heaven to earth, a god stands at "Yachimata"(a meeting place of eight roads) of heaven and sheds light on the areas spanning from "Takamanohara" (plain of high heaven) to "Ashihara no nakatsukuni" (Literally, "Central Land of Reed Plains," which refers to the human world).
ニニギが天降りしようとしたとき、天の八衢（やちまた）に立って高天原から葦原中国までを照らす神がいた。