Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology Part A

Izanagi and Izanami

In the beginning, everything was chaos and from the void emerged a cloud from which sprouted a bud than then grew and blossomed towards the heavens. From the wonder-flower bloomed the Sun. At the same time, from heaven came downward a night-blooming flower that became the moon. Out of these blossoms sprang many gods, the last of who were Izanagi (all-powerful-God-of-the-Air) and Izanami (fair-Goddess-of-the-Clouds), and from them came all life. 

Izanagi and Izanami stood in the Floating Bridge of Heaven when Izanagi said that there must be a kingdom beneath them and that they should visit it. He threw his spear into the ocean and when he drew it, from the drops of liquid the island of Onogora was born. He stirred once ore creating a mountain attached to the Floating Bridge. Izanagi and Izanami both descended and skirted the Pilla of Earth in opposite directions; when they met, Izanami spoke first which was a great offense due to her being a woman, so they started anew. This time Izanagi spoke first and there they were married. They lived in happiness and birthed the eight islands of Japan, as well as countless gods and godesses. When Izanagi was content with his kingdom he wished to have a ruler for it, so they birthed a daughter, Bright-Shining-Amaterasu, and a son, Susa-no-wo-no-mikoto, both the fairest of them all. 

Izanagi and Izanami in Wikimedia Commons

Story source: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).