Japan’s Three Forbidden Treasures

For early access to new episodes and ad-free listening, become a paid member on Patreon - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/SleepytimeHistory⁠ You can also Buy Us a Coffee – ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/sleepytimehistory⁠ Welcome to Sleepytime History® — true stories from the pages of history for a full night's rest. Tonight, drift into the remarkable true story of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, the oldest Crown Jewels in history. Said to have been imbued with an ancient power and gifted to Japan's first emperor, these Imperial Regalia have been hidden away for thousands of years, so that not a living soul has laid eyes upon them or can describe their true form. To find their origins we return to a world in darkness, where the sun had sealed herself inside a cave after a quarrel with the god of storms. In the finest of Japanese mythology, the gods hung a gleaming bronze mirror and a string of shimmering jewels near the entrance and made merry with a boisterous party, until the Amaterasu sun goddess peered out, spellbound by the radiance of her own reflection, and was pulled free as light came flooding back into the world. Then came a third treasure, a razor sharp sword wrenched from the tail of an eight-headed serpent and given to the sun goddess as recompense. The sword, the mirror, and the finest of the jewels are held sacred still by millions of the Shinto faithful, for no emperor of Japan can take the throne without them, and not one of them has ever tried. As you settle in tonight, we'll marvel at these treasures, from their distant past to where they now rest in Shinto shrines, unseen and undisturbed in the silence of countless centuries. This is history for sleep, relaxing history stories, and a gentle sleep aid all at once. If you struggle with insomnia, or you simply can't sleep, let this calm audiobook of bedtime stories for adults help you fall asleep and find a full night's rest. If you're new here, share where you're tuning in from or request a story for a future bedtime episode. And if you enjoy these peaceful history stories, please like and subscribe — it helps us continue sharing calm, true tales from the past. Chapters: 00:00:00 Japan's Three Forbidden Treasures 00:41:21 Florence Nightingale: Rebel With a Cause 01:22:26 Real History Behind the Odyssey 02:05:18 Lost 8th Wonder Of The World: The Amber Room 02:44:07 Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid: The Wild West's Most Beloved Bandits 03:24:56 Stone Age Ireland: People Without a Name 04:06:22 The Lighthouse of Alexandria: "Like a Second Sun Above the Waters" 04:47:10 Pandora's Box: What Was Actually Inside? 05:27:01 The Three Musketeers: The Strange Truth Behind the Legend 06:11:04 The Unicorn: Fabled Creature or Ancient Relic? 06:50:17 Julius Caesar: Into the Savage Realm of Druids & Sorcery 07:36:52 The Emperor's Tomb No One Dares Unseal Written and produced by Pamela Erwin Narration by Oliver Hale Music by Pia Maya Visuals by Ben Blight Images used in this episode are AI-generated oil-painting adaptations and/or composites of the following public-domain sources: Shunsai Toshimasa, Origin of the Cave Door Dance (Iwato Kagura no Kigen), 1889, woodblock print triptych, Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. Prime Minister's Office of Japan. Presentation of the Sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi and the Yasakani no Magatama at the Accession of Emperor Akihito. Photograph. Tokyo, January 7, 1989. Mark Cartwright, "Japanese Imperial Regalia," World History Encyclopedia, last modified May 2, 2017. This podcast contains AI-generated content. Sleepytime History is a trademark owned by Pamela Erwin. © 2026 Moonlight Productions. All rights reserved.