The Japanese Creation Myth: The Origin of Japan and its Deities

The Japanese creation myth tells how the gods Izanagi and Izanami shaped the islands of Japan and gave birth to some of its first deities, laying the foundation for Japanese culture and Shinto religion. This guide explores the ancient story of how Japan and its gods came to be, its key figures, and connections to other world mythologies.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Origins of the Japanese creation story
• Key deities who formed Japan
• Birth of the sun goddess Amaterasu
• Journey to the underworld (Yomi)
• Cultural impact of these myths

What is the Japanese Creation Myth?

The Japanese creation myth explains how the world, specifically the islands of Japan, came into existence through divine action. At its core, it tells the story of how two gods, Izanagi and Izanami, created the Japanese archipelago and gave birth to many Japanese deities.

This story begins in a time of primordial chaos, when heaven and earth were not yet separated. Six generations of gods appeared in Takamagahara (the Plain of High Heaven). These first gods tasked Izanagi and Izanami, the seventh generation of gods, with creating solid land in the watery void below.

The couple stood upon the Floating Bridge of Heaven and dipped a jeweled spear into the ocean. When they pulled it out, the droplets that fell back created the first island.

What makes this myth notable is how it connects Japan’s geography, imperial lineage, and religious practices into a single narrative that has shaped Japanese culture for centuries.

Primary Sources: Kojiki and Nihon Shoki

The Japanese creation myth comes from two main ancient texts: the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan). These texts contain the oldest written accounts of Japan’s mythology and early history.

Origins and Compilation of the Texts

Scribes completed the Kojiki in 712 CE during Empress Genmei’s reign. Ō no Yasumaro compiled it based on oral traditions recited by Hieda no Are. This text focuses on myths and legends to establish the divine origin of the Japanese imperial line.

Court scholars completed the Nihon Shoki in 720 CE. Prince Toneri and others wrote it entirely in Chinese, following Chinese historical chronicle styles. It contains more historical accounts alongside mythological tales and presents some stories in multiple versions.

The Yamato court commissioned both texts during the early 8th century to legitimize their rule by linking the imperial family to divine origins.

Differences Between the Two Accounts

While both texts tell many of the same stories, they differ in several key ways:

• The Kojiki begins with Amenominakanushi as the first deity, while the Nihon Shoki starts with Kuni-no-Tokotachi
• The Nihon Shoki often provides multiple versions of the same story
• The Nihon Shoki contains more details about historical events
• The Kojiki focuses more on establishing the divine lineage of the imperial family

The Kojiki‘s account tends to be simpler and more focused on mythology, while the Nihon Shoki includes more political context and historical information. These differences show how different regions already adapted and interpreted these myths in ancient Japan.

The Primordial Deities: Kotoamatsukami

Before Izanagi and Izanami entered the story, the creation myth describes the emergence of the first gods, known as Kotoamatsukami (separate heavenly deities). These primordial beings came into existence when heaven and earth first separated from chaos.

The First Gods of Takamagahara

According to the Kojiki, the first three deities to appear were:

• Amenominakanushi (Deity Master of the August Center of Heaven)
• Takamimusubi (High Divine Producer)
• Kamimusubi (Divine Producer)

These deities emerged spontaneously and then hid themselves. They rarely appear again in the myths. Their appearance marks the beginning of existence, though they take little direct action in later events.

The Nihon Shoki presents a different account, starting with Kuni-no-Tokotachi (Eternally Standing Deity of the Earth) as the first god.

The Seven Generations: Kamiyonanayo

According to the version in the Kojiki, after the initial deities, seven generations of gods (Kamiyonanayo) appeared as male-female pairs.

1. Kuninosatochi
2. Toyokumonu
3. Uhijini and Suhijini
4. Tsunuguhi and Ikuguhi
5. Ohotoji and Ohomahe
6. Omotaru and Kashikone
7. Izanagi and Izanami

The early generations represented forces like hidden growth and mud, while later generations became closer to recognizable deities with specific roles. The seventh generation culminated with Izanagi and Izanami, who would become the main actors in creating the physical world.

These early generations rarely appear in other myths, serving mainly to establish a divine lineage leading to the creator couple.

The Story of Creation

The central narrative of Japan’s creation myth begins with the divine couple tasked with creating the archipelago of Japan.

Izanagi and Izanami: The Divine Couple

Izanagi (“He-who-invites”) and Izanami (“She-who-invites”) were the final pair in the seven divine generations. Unlike their predecessors, who simply came into being and then disappeared, this couple received a specific mission: to create solid land from the formless ocean.

As brother and sister (who were also husband and wife), they represent the male and female principles that bring forth life through their union. Izanagi represents active, male energy, while Izanami embodies receptive, female energy.

The gods above gave them a heavenly jeweled spear called Amenonuhoko as their tool for creation.

The Floating Bridge of Heaven

To begin their work, Izanagi and Izanami stood upon Ame-no-ukihashi, the Floating Bridge of Heaven. This bridge connected Takamagahara (The Heavenly Plain) with the world below, which at that time was just a chaos of water.

From this position between the divine and formless realms, they could reach down into the primordial ocean.

Some scholars interpret the Floating Bridge as a rainbow, connecting heaven and earth. Others see it as the border between night and day, or perhaps as the horizon where sky meets sea.

Creation of Onogoro Island

Standing on the Floating Bridge, Izanagi and Izanami dipped the jeweled spear into the ocean below. When they pulled it out, salt water dripped from the tip. These droplets piled up and formed the first island, called Onogoro (“self-forming”).

This first island became the foundation for their next steps of creation. It represented the first solid matter in a world that had previously been only formless water.

Izanagi and Izanami descended from the Floating Bridge to this newly formed island, making it their home and base for further creation.

The Marriage Ritual and Its Significance

On Onogoro Island, Izanagi and Izanami decided to unite as husband and wife. They created a pillar called the Heavenly August Pillar and walked around it in opposite directions.

When they met on the other side, Izanami spoke first, saying, “What a fine young man!” Izanagi then responded, “What a fine young woman!”

Their union produced a child, but it was malformed—Hiruko (leech child), who was put in a boat and sent adrift. They then gave birth to the island of Awa, which was also considered defective.

Realizing that their marriage ceremony was flawed because Izanami, the female, had spoken first, they repeated the ceremony, this time with Izanagi speaking first. This second, corrected ritual allowed them to begin the creation of Japan’s islands and deities properly.

Kuniumi: Birth of the Japanese Islands

After correctly performing their marriage ritual, Izanagi and Izanami began the process known as Kuniumi, or “birth of the land.” This phase established the physical geography of Japan.

The Creation of Ōyashima (Eight Great Islands)

The divine couple gave birth to the eight main islands of Japan, collectively called Ōyashima:

• Awaji
• Iyo (later Shikoku)
• Ogi
• Tsukushi (later Kyushu)
• Iki
• Tsushima
• Sado
• Yamato (later Honshu)

Each island emerged from Izanami as if she were giving birth to children. The islands formed in a specific order, beginning with smaller islands and culminating with the largest, Yamato (Honshu), which would become the center of Japanese civilization.

The order and names of these islands vary between the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, reflecting different regional traditions that existed when these texts were compiled.

The Formation of Landscapes and Natural Features

After creating the main islands, Izanagi and Izanami continued to give birth to smaller islands and natural features. They created mountains, rivers, trees, and herbs.

The couple shaped every aspect of the Japanese landscape, from coastal inlets to inland mountains. Each part of nature came into being through their creative power, establishing Japan as a land with divine origins.

This phase of creation explains why the Japanese archipelago exists in its particular form. The myth connects the physical land to divine action, giving Japan itself a sacred quality that became central to Shinto beliefs.

Kamiumi: Birth of the Gods

After creating the land, Izanagi and Izanami began Kamiumi, the “birth of the gods.” This phase populated the newly formed world with deities who would govern natural forces and elements.

The Tragedy of Kagutsuchi

After creating many deities of mountains, rivers, trees, and grass, Izanami gave birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. This birth proved fatal; the fire god severely burned Izanami during childbirth.

Through her injuries, Izanami continued to produce more gods. From her suffering body came several important deities:

• From her vomit: gods of metal mountains and clay
• From her feces: the god of fertile soil
• From her urine: the water goddess and the young food goddess

These final births from Izanami’s suffering body connected human biological processes with the creation of useful elements of the natural world.

The Death of Izanami

The burns from giving birth to Kagutsuchi eventually caused Izanami’s death. Her passing marked the first death in the creation story and introduced mortality into the world.

Overcome with grief and rage, Izanagi drew his sword and beheaded Kagutsuchi. From the blood that dripped off his blade, more gods were born.

From Kagutsuchi’s dismembered body parts, even more deities emerged, including gods of mountains and rain.

Izanami’s death marked a turning point in the creation myth. Her journey to Yomi (the underworld) established the separation between the world of the living and the realm of the dead—a fundamental boundary in Japanese cosmology.

Journey to Yomi: The Underworld

After Izanami’s death, the myth continues with Izanagi’s attempt to bring her back from the underworld, establishing another critical aspect of Japanese cosmology.

Izanagi’s Quest to Retrieve Izanami

Unable to accept Izanami’s death, Izanagi decided to journey to Yomi, the land of the dead, to bring his wife back. This quest parallels similar journeys in other world mythologies, such as Orpheus seeking Eurydice in Greek myth.

Izanagi traveled the long road to Yomi and eventually found Izanami in the darkness. He called out to her, begging her to return with him to complete their work of creation.

Izanami replied that she had already eaten the food of Yomi, making her return difficult. Nevertheless, she promised to speak with the gods of Yomi about the possibility of returning to the world above.

The Forbidden Look and Its Consequences

Izanami told Izanagi not to look at her while she consulted with the underworld gods. However, after waiting a long time, Izanagi became impatient and lit a torch to search for her.

When he found Izanami, he was horrified to see her body rotting and filled with maggots. In some versions, the Eight Thunder Gods were living in various parts of her decaying corpse.

Shocked and frightened by this sight, Izanagi fled. Izanami, humiliated and enraged that Izanagi had seen her decomposed form, sent the Ugly Females of Yomi to chase him.

Izanagi’s Escape and Sealing of Yomi

As Izanagi fled the underworld, he threw down his headdress, which turned into grapes. When the pursuing demons stopped to eat them, he gained some distance.

He then threw his comb, which turned into bamboo shoots, again slowing his pursuers.

Eventually, Izanami herself joined the chase. Izanagi reached the boundary between Yomi and the world of the living, where he grabbed a huge boulder and used it to block the entrance to the underworld.

On opposite sides of this boulder, Izanagi and Izanami spoke their final words to each other. Izanami threatened to kill a thousand people each day, and Izanagi responded that he would then give life to fifteen hundred daily.

With this exchange, they established the cycle of life and death. The sealing of Yomi created a permanent separation between the world of the living and the realm of the dead.

Birth of the Three Precious Children

After escaping from Yomi, Izanagi needed to purify himself from the pollution of the underworld. This purification ritual led to the birth of some of the most important deities in the Japanese pantheon.

Izanagi’s Purification Ritual

Upon returning to the world of the living, Izanagi felt unclean from his contact with death and decay. He went to a river mouth at Tachibana in Himuka (modern-day Kyushu) to perform misogi, a ritual cleansing.

As he removed his clothes and washed in the river, each garment and part of his body that touched the water created new gods. When he washed his left eye, right eye, and nose, three major deities were born:

• Left eye: Amaterasu (sun goddess)
• Right eye: Tsukuyomi (moon god)
• Nose: Susanoo (storm god)

This purification established the ritual practice that would become central to Shinto religion, where cleanliness and ritual purity are key concepts.

Amaterasu: The Sun Goddess

From Izanagi’s left eye emerged Amaterasu Ōmikami, the great goddess of the sun. She was the most magnificent of all his children, radiant and perfect. Izanagi entrusted her with the rule of Takamagahara, the Plain of High Heaven.

Amaterasu became the most important deity in the Shinto pantheon. As the divine ancestor of the Japanese imperial family, she provided the basis for the emperor’s spiritual authority.

Her name means “Heaven Shining Great Deity,” and her birth explains the origin of sunlight in the world.

Tsukuyomi: The Moon God

From Izanagi’s right eye came Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, the god of the moon. He was given authority over the night sky and the realm of darkness.

Tsukuyomi was initially paired with his sister Amaterasu, but they later became estranged. According to some versions of the myth, Tsukuyomi killed the food goddess Uke Mochi because he was disgusted by the way she produced food from her body.

This murder angered Amaterasu, who separated herself from her brother. This divine separation explains why the sun and moon appear at different times in the sky—they are divine siblings who no longer wish to see each other.

Susanoo: The Storm God

The third deity, born from Izanagi’s nose, was Susanoo, the god of storms and the sea. He was given dominion over the oceans.

Susanoo had a wild, unpredictable nature that caused trouble among the gods. Unlike his siblings, who accepted their domains, Susanoo continued to weep, saying he missed his mother, Izanami, and wanted to join her in Yomi.

His turbulent emotions and behavior match the nature of storms and the sea, which can shift suddenly from calm to violent.

Significance in Japanese Culture and Religion

The Japanese creation myth isn’t just an ancient story—it continues to shape Japanese culture, religion, and national identity today.

Connection to the Imperial Family

The Japanese imperial family traces its lineage to the gods through Ninigi-no-Mikoto, grandson of Amaterasu. According to the myth, Amaterasu sent him to rule the earth with three sacred treasures: the mirror, sword, and jewel.

This divine ancestry provided the foundation for the emperor’s traditional role as both political ruler and chief priest of Shinto. Until 1945, the emperor was officially considered divine based on this mythological connection.

The enthronement ceremony still includes elements that recall this mythic heritage. The inner shrine at Ise, Japan’s most sacred Shinto site, is dedicated to Amaterasu and remains closely connected to the imperial family.

Influence on Shinto Practices

Many Shinto rituals are linked to elements from the creation myth. Purification ceremonies (misogi) recall Izanagi’s cleansing after leaving the underworld.

The use of mirrors, jewels, and swords as sacred objects in Shinto shrines references the three imperial regalia that are believed to have originated from these myths.

The emphasis on ritual purity in Shinto comes from these stories, which show how proper ritual actions lead to favorable outcomes, while impurity brings disaster.

Representation in Art and Literature

The creation myth has inspired Japanese artists for centuries. Scenes like Izanagi and Izanami stirring the ocean or Amaterasu emerging from her cave appear in paintings, wood-block prints, and sculpture.

Literary works reference these stories in poetry, drama, and fiction. The 14th-century Noh play Hagoromo draws on elements of the heavenly dance that lured Amaterasu from her cave.

Film directors, anime creators, and game designers frequently incorporate elements from these myths, bringing them to new audiences. Characters based on Amaterasu, Susanoo, and other deities appear in popular culture, keeping these ancient stories relevant in contemporary Japan.

Modern Interpretations and Cultural Legacy

Today, most Japanese approach these myths as cultural heritage rather than literal truth. They represent key aspects of Japanese identity: the connection to nature, the importance of proper ritual, and the value placed on social harmony.

Scholars interpret the myths through various lenses—as reflections of prehistoric social structures, as political tools used to legitimize rule, or as psychological archetypes. Feminist readings examine the changing roles of female deities like Izanami and Amaterasu.

The creation myth remains a fundamental text for understanding Japanese culture, providing context for everything from religious practices to modern anime.