Izanagi and Izanami
The divine siblings Izanagi and Izanami stir the ocean with the jeweled spear to form the islands of Japan. Their union births gods and fire; Izanami dies, trapping Izanagi’s gaze in Yomi. His escape and purification birth sun, moon, and storm deities.
Story beats
- 1) Standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven, they churn the sea; brine drops form Onogoro, their first island.
- 2) Circling the pillar to wed, Izanagi speaks first—early flawed ritual yields malformed Hiruko. Repeating correctly, they birth the eight great islands and myriad kami.
- 3) Fire-god Kagutsuchi’s birth fatally burns Izanami. In grief, Izanagi kills Kagutsuchi; his blood spawns more deities.
- 4) Izanagi descends to Yomi to retrieve Izanami, but breaks taboo, seeing her decayed form. Fleeing, he blocks Yomi’s pass with a boulder, divorcing the realms.
- 5) Purifying in a river, Izanagi births Amaterasu (sun), Tsukuyomi (moon), and Susanoo (storms), setting the cosmos anew.
Context & symbolism
The myth underscores correct ritual, boundaries between life and death, and purification (misogi) as creative force. Izanami’s decay in Yomi warns against breaching taboos and clinging to the dead.
The boulder at Yomi’s entrance establishes irreversible separation; the river ablution models Shinto cleansing practices that generate new life.
Motifs
- Jeweled spear churning the sea
- Marriage circling and spoken order
- Yomi’s gloom and blocked pass
- Misogi yielding sun, moon, storm gods
Use it in play
- Perform a precise ritual; mistakes birth flawed results until corrected.
- Journey to the underworld to retrieve someone—obey or break taboos for different endings.
- Use purification to create new boons; every washed limb births a guardian.
- Guard or move the stone sealing Yomi, risking undead pursuit.