Story · Japanese Mythology · 3 chapters

Izanagi and Izanami Form the Islands

The creator pair Izanagi and Izanami stand on the Floating Bridge of Heaven (Ame-no-ukihashi) and, with the jeweled spear Ame-no-nuhokohe, stir the brine of the deep sea; the salt that drips from the spear forms the first island, Onogoro [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗. There they wed and, in a series of 'birthings,' produce the great islands of Japan (naming them as they are formed) and then the deities (kami) who attend them [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗. The sequence of islands and the sequence of kami are given in the text, though the two lists differ between the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗[S2]S2 · *Nihon Shoki* ('Chronicles of Japan', 720 CE) — PRIMARY TEXT (annalistic + mythographic) — (translation: G. Cameron, 1968; see Internet Arch.

living religious tradition

Shinto is a living religious tradition. These narratives are presented as the tradition's own mythic heritage, with the historical layers (Kojiki 712 CE, Nihon Shoki 720 CE, shrine engi) made visible. Modern state-Sinto and pop-culture readings are labeled separately from the primary texts.

Izanagi, Izanami — The God Izanagi and Goddess Izanami
The God Izanagi and Goddess Izanami · Nishikawa Sukenobu · c. 1900 (Taishō) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public domain (Met Open Access)
⚠ Scholars disagree

The exact list and order of the islands, and which kami are born in which 'birthing,' differ between the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗[S2]S2 · *Nihon Shoki* ('Chronicles of Japan', 720 CE) — PRIMARY TEXT (annalistic + mythographic) — (translation: G. Cameron, 1968; see Internet Arch.

CHAPTER 01

The Floating Bridge

Izanagi and Izanami stand on the Floating Bridge of Heaven (Ame-no-ukihashi) over the brine of the sea [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗
Izanagi, Izanami, creation of the islands — Izanagi and Izanami Creating the First Japanese Islands
Izanagi and Izanami Creating the First Japanese Islands · Kobayashi Eitaku · 1880s · Massachusetts Fine Arts (via Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain
CHAPTER 02

The First Island

With the jeweled spear Ame-no-nuhokohe they stir the brine; the dripping salt forms Onogoro, the first island [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗
CHAPTER 03

The Islands and the Kami

Over a series of birthings they form the great islands of Japan and give birth to the deities [S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗
Izanagi, Izanami — Izanagi and Izanami (from a shinbutsu-zue)
Izanagi and Izanami (from a shinbutsu-zue) · Anonymous (Emsdo Shinsai, publisher) · 1790 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Variants of this story (2)
Kojiki island list

The Kojiki names the islands in a specific order as they are 'born.'

Nihon Shoki island list

The Nihon Shoki gives a related but not identical list and order of the islands.

Primary sources[S1]S1 · *Kojiki* ('Records of Ancient Matters', 712 CE), trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain (1882/1933) — PRIMARY TRANSLATION — https://sacred-texts.com/Open source ↗ [S2]S2 · *Nihon Shoki* ('Chronicles of Japan', 720 CE) — PRIMARY TEXT (annalistic + mythographic) — (translation: G. Cameron, 1968; see Internet Arch