SUKUNAHIKONA

in full Sukunahikona No Kami, also spelled Sukunabikona (Japanese: Small Man of Renown), in Japanese mythology, dwarf deity who assisted Okuninushi in building the world and formulating protections against disease and wild animals. A god of healing and of brewing sake (rice wine), Sukunahikona is associated particularly with hot springs. He first arrived in Izumo in a small boat of bark and clad in goose skins, and when he was picked up by Okuninushi, Sukunahikona promptly bit him on the cheek. The two, nevertheless, became fast friends. Many later folktales about dwarfs and fairies are derived from Sukunahikona. He left the world by climbing to the top of a millet stalk that, rebounding, threw him into Tokoyo no Kuni, the Land of Eternity.