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The Japanese creation myth explains the formation of Japan’s sky, earth, and islands. It was part of the Kojiki, compiled in 712 by O no Yasumaro and assigned by Empress Gemmei. The story involves three creator deities, Izanagi and Izanami, who mate and produce weak children until they speak to each other in the correct order. Their healthy offspring became Japan’s islands.
The Japanese creation myth is a mythological story created to explain the formation of the sky and earth and islands of Japan. The story of the Japanese creation myth was told as part of the Kojiki, an ancient account of many Japanese myths compiled around 712. Creation folklore in the Kojiki derives directly from the myths established by many early clans. This historical work was researched and compiled by O no Yasumaro and assigned by Empress Gemmei, the fourth female empress of Japan.
This creation myth begins with an infinite, shapeless mass. From this limitless form a diaphanous semblance emerged and formed the sky. Subsequently, the three creator deities—Augustus’s-Sky-Center-Deity, Upper-Augustus’Wonderful-Producing-Deity, and Divine-Wonderful-Producing-Deity—all merged from heaven. While the deities were forming, the Japanese creation myth continues with the earth gradually maturing from the heavy parts of the lump that precipitated and then combined. Originally, earth appeared as an oily residue on a watery surface.
Out of this oily sheen emerged, sprouting like water reeds, many gods. These gods had nothing to do or rule due to the primitive shape of the earth. The celestial deities ordered Izanagi, a male god, and Izanami, a female god, to pass over the malformed earth and make it whole using a jeweled spear, called the Ama-no-Nuboko. Standing on the floating sky bridge, a place under heaven and above earth, this couple agonized over how to make earth out of the mess at their feet.
Finally, Izanagi stirred up the oily sea with Ama-no-Nuboko and found that the spear touched something solid that could be lifted to the surface. This summoned landmass was named Onokoro Island and later became one of Japan’s smaller islands. Izanagi and Izanami descended on this island.
On the island, Izanagi and Izanami decided to get married and, to prepare for the ceremony, they built a column, known as the Column of the Celestial Augustus. To symbolize their meeting, Izanagi and Izanami traveled in different directions around this pillar, and after meeting behind the pillar, Izanami first told Izanagi how happy she was to meet him. Izanagi then spoke of her happiness in loving a beautiful girl. These two immortals mated and produced a weak, boneless, leech-like child. They abandoned the child in a reed boat.
A second attempt to mate produced another weak child. Discouraged, the immortals returned to heaven to ask the gods what they had done wrong. They were informed by the celestial deities that the weak children were the fault of the female god, Izanami, because he first spoke rudely to Izanagi after going around the pillar.
The Japanese creation myth ends with the pair returning to Onokoro to circle the pillar again. This time Izanagi spoke to Izanami first. After this, they only produced strong children. The healthy offspring of Izanagi and Izanami became the islands of Japan.
