Kunio Yanagita
Scholars such as Kunio Yanagita and Saigō Nobutsuna theorize that Are was a woman. Are was given the title of , which is typically a male title. However, members of the Sarume-no-kimi family are renowned as shrine maidens to the court, a female institution. In addition, a number of passages within the "Kojiki" appear to have been written by a woman.