Tokoyo (常世),[1] also known as Kakuriyo (隠世、幽世), or Taikaikan[2] is a realm in Shinto. It is an "otherworld" though not necessarily seen as a place in the afterlife, but rather as a mythical realm with many interpretations. It is believed to be a place where various kami and spirits of ancestors live with eternal youth. Motoori Norinaga categorized three types of Tokoyo: a world of perpetual darkness, a world where people never grew old, and a world across the sea.[1]
Ne-no-kuni is sometimes considered to be identical to Tokoyo no Kuni, or alternatively Yomi the underworld.[3][4] There is no clear consensus on the relationship between these three realms.[3][4]
Various stories related to Tokoyo can be found in classics such as Kojiki and Nihongi, including the tale of Tajimamori travelling to Tokoyo in the reign of Emperor Suinin to help him become immortal. In the reign of Empress Kogyoku a fanatical cult dedicated to the god of Tokoyo was said to have emerged.[1]