The Mythological Origins of Japan: Izanagi, Izanami and Amaterasu
As it usually happens with many civilizations that have been on Earth for thousands of years, the first stories about the creation of the world usually fall within mythology. We can see it in the Greek and Roman gods, the Egyptians or Norse or Scandinavian mythology among others. This is also the case in Japan.
The Kokiji is the oldest historical book in Japan, but although it’s a historical book it is full of myths, legends, songs and oral traditions. You have probably heard on some occasion that the Japanese monarchy is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world that has reigned continuously above the English one, and is said to descend from an important goddess of the Shinto religion. This statement is based on what is written in the Kokiji, which tells how Japan, the Land of the Gods, was created.
Izanagi and Izanami, the creators of Japan
In the origin of time, the first gods (kami) appeared in Takamagahara or High Plain of Heaven. At that time the world still had no form and was a huge liquid mass. The first generation of gods was followed by other generations until Izanagi (the one who invites) and Izanami (the one who invites), a marriage of siblings. The gods sent Izanagi and Izanami to build the world, turning that liquid mass into solid ground. In order to accomplish this task, they are given a spear called Amenonuhoko. Izanagi dips the spear into the liquid and when he pulls it out, it drops a few drops, which turn into dry land, creating the first island, the island of Onogoro. Izanagi and Izanami then move to this island to continue their task and build a palace.
Once in the palace, Izanagi and Izanami had to continue to create more divinities and islands and populate them. In the palace, there was a column, called the Pillar of Heavenly August. Izanagi circles around the pillar in the left direction while Izanami moved to the right until they met and exchanged greetings.
Izanami: “What a fine young man!”
“What a fine young lady!”- replied Izanagi.
And the two joined together to procreate. However, both the first and the second child born of this union were unfinished, limbless, and boneless, so they got rid of them and consulted with the other gods of the Takamagahara. They told him that when turning the column, Izanagi should have been the first to speak. They listened and performed the ritual in this way, and this time Izanami gave birth to countless divinities as well as the islands of Awaji, Shikoku, Oki Kyushu, and Tsushima, and finally Honshu, the largest island. And so the eight main islands of Japan were born.