Born of the Ahinto sun goddess Amaterasu, Emperor Jimmu is the legendary first Emperor of Japan. However, he didn’t receive this title more than 1000 years later when the practice of naming Emperors after their death began, taking the concept of posthumous promotion to the next level.

The story goes that Jimmu set out on a journey to conquer the land in the name of the gods - and he did it, with the help of a sacred sword and a giant three-legged cow (always useful). His peaceful 76-year reign marked the beginning of the Japanese Imperial line, which continues to this day.

Sure, there may not be any hard proof that he actually existed, but that doesn’t make the story any less cool / significant in Japan’s history and cultural heritage.