Japanese mythology includes traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that developed in the islands of Japan. Shinto traditions are the main foundation of these beliefs. Over many years, contact with Chinese and Indian cultures, including Buddhist and Hindu myths, greatly influenced Japanese religious ideas.
Japanese myths are connected to the natural features of Japan’s islands and to religious practices tied to farming. In Shinto beliefs, there are many kami, which are spirits or gods.
Two important sources for modern Japanese myths are the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. The Kojiki, meaning "Record of Ancient Matters," is the oldest known written account of Japan’s myths, legends, and history. Another text, the Shintōshū, explains the origins of Japanese gods from a Buddhist viewpoint.
A key part of Japanese mythology is its explanation of how the Japanese imperial family began. This story has been used historically to show that the imperial family has a divine connection.
The Japanese language is not spelled the same way in all sources, which can make it hard to read proper nouns consistently.
Cosmogony
Japan's creation story has two main parts: the birth of the gods (Kamiumi) and the birth of the land (Kuniumi). The gods began with three primordial gods who created the next seven generations. Later, two gods named Izanagi and Izanami were born as siblings. They used a decorated spear called Ame-no-nuhoko ("Heavenly Jeweled Spear") to create the first islands of Japan. Izanagi dipped the spear into the ocean, and islands formed where the water dripped from the spear. Some historians believe the story of Izanagi creating the island Onogoro shows early ideas about male importance in Japanese myths.
Early Japanese myths often include themes like death, loss, and purification. They also focus on proper ceremonies and the role of men. For example, Izanagi and Izanami's first child was born without limbs or bones. The parents sent the child to sea in a boat because they believed they had not followed the correct ceremony. The older gods told them the male must speak first during rituals. After correcting their actions, they created many children, including the eight great islands of Japan—Awaji, Iyo, Oki, Tsukushi, Iki, Tsushima, Sado, and Yamato. Their last child was Kagutsuchi, the fire god, whose flames killed Izanami. Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi in anger, and Kagutsuchi's body created more gods. Izanami was later buried on Mount Hiba, near modern-day Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture.
Scholars have studied the Kojiki, a Japanese myth book, and noticed incestuous themes in the story of Izanagi and Izanami. Oka Masao was the first scholar to write about them being siblings. In the Kojiki, Izanami is called Izanagi's "imo," meaning both wife and little sister. Some scholars disagree, arguing that another myth about humans surviving a flood might not be the same as the Izanagi and Izanami story. In the Man'yōshū, a collection of poems, Izanami is also called "imo," suggesting the compiler believed they were siblings. While scholars debate their relationship, other gods like Amaterasu and Susanoo, children of Izanagi, were also siblings who had conflicts. Japanese myths often include graphic and taboo details, such as descriptions of decay and death, which contrast with modern Japanese values of cleanliness and purity.
After Izanami died, Izanagi tried to rescue her from Yomi, the underworld. He disobeyed her instructions and saw her rotting body, which frightened him. He escaped using obstacles like peaches, which later became important in Japanese myths, such as the story of Momotarō, the peach boy. When Izanagi returned from Yomi, he purified himself, and the water and robes that fell from him created more gods. Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, was born from Izanagi's eye, while Tsukuyomi, the Moon god, and Susanoo, the storm god, were born when Izanagi washed his face.
Myths about the Sun, Moon, and Storm gods show conflict. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi dislike each other, which explains why the Sun and Moon do not shine together. Susanoo, the storm god, caused chaos in Amaterasu's home, leading her to hide in a cave. Other gods and Ame no Uzume, a goddess who danced and exposed herself, lured Amaterasu out of the cave. This story is one of the most famous in Japanese mythology.
Amaterasu is important in Japanese myths because she is the Sun goddess and the ancestor of the Japanese imperial family. Her story helped the Yamato state gain power by linking the imperial family to divine origins. The tale of Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor, is considered the beginning of the imperial line. He was said to be the descendant of Amaterasu and marked the start of the "Age of Humans" after the "Age of the Gods." Emperor Jimmu founded the imperial throne in Yamato province, traditionally dated to 660 B.C. By the 7th century, the imperial court moved from Yamato to other locations.
The myths in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki explain the origins of the imperial family and Japan's history. These texts have different versions of events, showing variations in how the imperial family's beginnings are described. Some scholars think these myths were created to support the imperial family's authority, while others believe they were written to preserve ancient stories.
Spelling of proper nouns
Japanese mythology includes many gods and goddesses, and many of them have several names. Some names are very long, so this article lists only the most important names and uses one shorter version of each. Other shorter versions are also used.
(For example, the god Ninigi, whose full name is Ame-Nigishikuni-Nigishiamatsuhiko-Hikono-no-Ninigi-no-Mikoto, may also be called Hikoho-no-Ninigi or Hono-Ninigi.)
In some parts of this article, names are written in a way that reflects older spelling rules. In this article, underlined letters "h," "y," and "w" are not pronounced and are not used in modern spelling. Other parts of the names are updated to match modern spelling rules, as described in Japanese romanization systems. Sometimes, a mix of these rules is also used.