Japanese mythology

An interesting aspect of Japanese mythology is that it explains the origin of the current royal family, and gave them deity until recently, the end of the Pacific War.

Japanese myths, as generally known today, are what recorded in Kojiki. Kojiki is the oldest recognized book of myths, legends, and history of Japan, which was edited by Yasumaro in the early eighth century,

Creation of the world, part 1 (1-2)

Izanaki (male deity) and Izanami (female deity) churned the sea to made solid Onogoro island. They came down to the island. They mixed there and bore many islands and deities. The first two were badly made. Then ooyashima (great eight islands):

• Awaji
• Iyo (later Shikoku)
• Oki
• Tsukushi (Later Kyushu)
• Iki
• Tsushima
• Sado
• Yamato (Later Honshu)

Note: in this times, Hokkaido, Chishima, and Okinawa was not a part of Japan.

Then six small islands. Then dozens of deities including Kagutsuchi, the incarnation of fire. Izanami was killed by a burn of Kagutsuchi. Izanaki detested Kagutsuchi and killed him. Another dozen of deities were born from the corpse of Kagutsuchi, including Mikazuchi, the incarnation of lightning.

Yomi, a hades (4)

Izanaki lamented his dearest and made a travel to Yomi, the land of night, the land under ground, the world of the deads.

There he saw decayed figure of his wife, flew back, and divorced her. "My dear, I will kill each day one thousand of your peoples," she cursed him. "My dear, I will make them bear one thousand and five hundreds," he replyed. Hence, birth and death.