Creation of Japan (Izanagi and Izanami)
10000 BCE
Birth of the Japanese islands and the kami.
Historical Context
Before the world's formation, the universe was an amorphous mass. The primordial celestial deities summoned the brother and sister Izanagi and Izanami, handing them a jeweled spear.
The Event
From the 'Floating Bridge of Heaven', they plunged the spear into the chaotic ocean. Upon withdrawal, the dripping salt water coagulated to form the first island of the Japanese archipelago.
Key Figures
Izanagi (He-who-invites), Izanami (She-who-invites), Amaterasu (Sun goddess, born later from Izanagi's eye).
Aftermath
The couple descended to earth, begetting the Japanese islands (Oyashima) and a multitude of Kami (nature spirits), until Izanami's tragic death giving birth to the fire god.
Legacy & Culture
The fundamental bedrock of Shintoism. The myth sanctifies the Japanese land as pure divine essence, and establishes Amaterasu as the direct ancestor of the Imperial lineage.
Historiography
The Kojiki (712 CE), which relates this myth, was primarily a political tool commissioned by the imperial court to legitimize its absolute power and unite clans under a single sacred genealogy.
Sources and References
Nihon Shoki (Chroniques du Japon, 720 apr. J.-C.)
Kogo Shūi (Glanures historiques réunies par les Imbe)
Vestiges du sanctuaire d'Izanagi à Awaji