Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto are two of the most important deities in Japanese mythology. They are the divine couple responsible for the creation of the Japanese islands and deities, and their story is central to Japan’s mythological origins.
Izanagi is often depicted as the male counterpart in this divine pair. His name roughly translates to “He Who Invites". He’s one of the earliest gods, born from the primordial deities that came into existence after the formation of heaven and earth. Izanagi is considered a powerful figure, symbolizing life, creation, and later, purification.
Izanami, whose name means “She Who Invites”, represents both creation and death, making her a more complex figure compared to Izanagi. She is associated with both life-giving and death-bringing forces in mythology.
According to the myth in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the gods tasked Izanagi and Izanami with the creation of the islands of Japan. They stood on the Floating Bridge of Heaven and, using a jeweled spear given to them by the older gods, they stirred the ocean below. When they lifted the spear, drops of water fell back into the sea and formed the first island, Onogoro. The two deities descended to this island to continue their task.
On the island, they performed a marriage ceremony. Their union produced healthy children, who became the islands of Japan and many other gods.
Izanami died giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi, as the flames fatally burned her. Heartbroken, Izanagi was devastated by her loss. In anger, he killed Kagutsuchi, and from the blood that dripped from his sword, many more deities were born.
Unable to accept Izanami's death, Izanagi ventured into Yomi to bring her back. He found Izanami, but she warned him not to look at her. Izanagi could not resist, and when he saw her decayed corpse, he was horrified. Izanami, humiliated and enraged, chased him out of Yomi, but Izanagi managed to escape and blocked the entrance with a huge boulder.
After his escape from Yomi, Izanagi performed a purification ritual to cleanse himself of the impurities of death. During this ritual, three important deities were born from different parts of his body:
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, from his left eye.
Tsukuyomi, the moon god, from his right eye.
Susanoo, the storm god, from his nose.
After this, Izanagi and Izanami were forever separated, with Izanagi remaining in the world of the living and Izanami in the underworld, ruling over the dead.
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