World Myth Map

35.40, 133.20

• Izanagi Sealing the Entrance of Yomi with a Massive Boulder

  Following the tragic death of his beloved wife Izanami, the creator god Izanagi journeys into the dark underworld of Yomi to retrieve her. Breaking a sacred vow of trust, he gazes…

• Izanagi Throwing Three Peaches to Repel the Pursuing Underworld Hags

  In Japanese mythology, the creator god Izanagi journeys to the dark underworld of Yomi to rescue his deceased wife, Izanami. After breaking a sacred vow by looking upon her decayed…

• Izanagi Venturing into the Dark Underworld of Yomi to Rescue Izanami

  Devastated by the death of his beloved wife Izanami, who perished while giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi, the creator god Izanagi journeys down to the dark, polluted underwo…

• Izanagi's Descent to Yomi and the Broken Comb

  Grieving the tragic death of his beloved wife Izanami, the creator god Izanagi journeys to Yomi-no-kuni, the shadowy Japanese underworld, to retrieve her. Although Izanami warns hi…

• Izanami's Corpse and the Eight Thunder Gods Chasing Izanagi out of Yomi

  After his wife Izanami dies giving birth to the fire god, Izanagi ventures into Yomi, the land of the dead, to bring her back. He breaks his promise not to look at her, discovering…

• Susanoo Chasing Okuninushi but Ultimately Blessing His Union with Suserihime

  This myth tells of the young god Onamuchi, later known as Okuninushi, who flees to the underworld to escape his murderous brothers. There, he falls in love with Suserihime, the dau…

35.32, 132.89

• Susanoo Meeting the Elderly Couple Whose Daughters Were Eaten by Yamata no Orochi

  Cast down from the heavens, the Shinto storm god Susanoo descends to Earth at the Hi River in Izumo, where he discovers an elderly earthly deity couple weeping over their last rema…

• Susanoo Preparing Eight Vats of Strong Sake to Intoxicate Yamata no Orochi

  Exiled from the High Heavenly Plains, the storm god Susanoo descends to the Hii River in Izumo, where he discovers an elderly couple and their daughter weeping over a terrifying th…

• Yamata no Orochi Drinking the Sake and Falling into a Deep Stupor

  Banished from the heavenly realms, the storm god Susanoo descends to the Hii River in Izumo, where he encounters an elderly couple weeping over the impending sacrifice of their eig…

35.40, 132.69

• Okuninushi and Sukunabikona Cooperating to Build and Cultivate the Islands

  This Japanese myth recounts the partnership between the benevolent deity Okuninushi and the dwarf god Sukunabikona, who arrived on a wave in a tiny boat. Together, they traveled ac…

• Okuninushi Tying Susanoo's Hair to the Rafters and Escaping with His Treasures

  To escape his eighty jealous brothers, the young god Onamuji travels to the underworld, where he falls in love with the storm god Susanoo's daughter, Suseri-hime. Susanoo subjects…

• Suserihime Giving Okuninushi a Magical Scarf to Ward Off the Aggressive Snakes

  To survive the deadly trials imposed by her father Susanoo, the young deity Okuninushi must rely on the quick wit and magical artifacts of Suserihime. In the first and most terrify…

35.33, 132.95

• Princess Suserihime Falling in Love with Okuninushi When He Flees to Ne-no-kuni

  This myth recounts how the young deity Okuninushi fled the murderous plots of his eighty jealous brothers and sought refuge in Ne-no-kuni, the dark netherworld ruled by Susanoo. Up…

• Susanoo Building an Eightfold Palace for His New Bride Kushinadahime in Izumo

  After defeating the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi, the storm god Susanoo-no-Mikoto sought a place to settle down with his new bride, Kushinadahime. Upon reaching the lands…

• Susanoo Composing the World's First Waka Poem About the Thick Clouds of Izumo

  After defeating the monstrous eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi and saving the maiden Kushinadahime, the storm god Susanoo searched for a place to build their new home. Upon ar…

32.74, 131.35

• Susanoo Throwing a Flayed Horse into Amaterasu's Weaving Hall in a Wild Rage

  In Japanese mythology, the storm god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, drunk on pride after a sacred contest, goes on a destructive rampage in heaven. This culminates in him flaying a heavenly ho…

• The Gods Gathering at the Quiet Riverbed to Plan Amaterasu's Lure

  When the sun goddess Amaterasu hid herself in the Heavenly Rock Cave out of grief over her brother Susanoo's wild behavior, the world was plunged into complete darkness. Desperate…

32.73, 131.35

• Amaterasu Sealing Herself Inside the Heavenly Rock Cave, Plunging the World into Darkness

  Driven to deep despair and grief by the destructive, reckless actions of her brother Susanoo, the sun goddess Amaterasu seals herself within the Heavenly Rock Cave, Amano-Iwato. He…

• Ame-no-Uzume Performing a Wild Comic Dance on a Tub to Make the Gods Laugh

  When the sun goddess Amaterasu locked herself in the heavenly rock cave Ama-no-Iwato, she cast the entire cosmos into complete darkness and despair. The millions of Shinto deities…

34.43, 134.85

• Izanami Giving Birth to the Eight Great Islands of Japan

  In Shinto cosmology, the primordial divine couple Izanagi and Izanami descend from the Heavenly Bridge to generate land out of the chaotic waters. After a failed first attempt due…

• Sukunabikona Climbing a Millet Stalk and Being Flung into the Eternal Land of Tokoyo

  The miniature deity Sukunabikona, after working alongside Ookuninushi to establish and develop the land of Japan, climbed a tall, swaying millet stalk. As the flexible stem bent un…

31.96, 131.46

• Amaterasu Born from Izanagi's Left Eye During His Purification Bath

  After returning from the dark underworld of Yomi, the creator god Izanagi-no-Mikoto cleansed himself in a sacred river in Miyazaki. As he washed his left eye, the radiant sun godde…

• Izanagi Purifying Himself in the Tachibana River to Wash Away Yomi's Filth

  Following his horrific journey to Yomi, the land of the dead, to retrieve his deceased wife Izanami, the creator god Izanagi flees back to the living world. Overwhelmed by the spir…

35.54, 134.13

• Okuninushi Advising the White Hare to Bathe in Fresh Water and Pollen to Heal

  During a journey to win the hand of Princess Yakami, the compassionate deity Ōkuninushi encountered the White Hare of Inaba, who had been flayed by sea beasts and further tormented…

• The Princess Yakami-hime Choosing Okuninushi Over His Eighty Jealous Brothers

  This myth tells the story of the gentle god Okuninushi, then known as Onamuchi, who traveled to the land of Inaba alongside his eighty jealous brothers. Along the way, he showed co…

35.16, 133.17

• Susanoo Banished from Heaven, Descending to the Earthly Land of Izumo

  Following his violent outbursts and banishment from the High Celestial Plain, the tempestuous storm god Susanoo descends to Earth at Mount Sentsu in the historical province of Izum…

• Susanoo Slicing Yamata no Orochi to Pieces and Finding the Kusanagi Sword in Its Tail

  Exiled from heaven, the storm god Susanoo descends to Earth and encounters a grieving elderly couple whose daughters have been devoured by the monstrous Yamata no Orochi, an eight-…

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• Okuninushi's Brothers Trapping Him with a Red-Hot Boulder Painted Like a Boar

  Driven by intense jealousy, the eighty brothers of Onamuji plot to murder him on Mount Tema. They trick him into catching a red-hot boulder under the pretense that it is a giant re…

• Susanoo Testing Okuninushi by Locking Him in a Chamber Full of Venomous Snakes

  Seeking the hand of Princess Suseri-hime, the earthly god Okuninushi travels to Ne-no-Kuni, the underworld realm of her father, the storm god Susanoo. Susanoo subjects Okuninushi t…

34.97, 135.77

• Tsukuyomi Slaying the Food Goddess Ukemochi

  Sent by his sister Amaterasu to visit the food goddess Ukemochi, Tsukuyomi the moon god becomes deeply offended when she prepares a feast by expelling food items from her nose, mou…

34.49, 136.70

• Tsukuyomi Born from Izanagi's Right Eye, Becoming the God of the Moon

  Following his harrowing journey to the underworld of Yomi to rescue his wife Izanami, the creator god Izanagi underwent a ritual purification to cleanse himself of the underworld's…

35.54, 134.13

• Okuninushi Meeting the Flayed White Hare of Inaba Weeping on the Beach

  While traveling to woo Princess Yakami of Inaba, the eighty brothers of Okuninushi trick a flayed hare into bathing in saltwater, causing it agonizing pain. Okuninushi, carrying hi…

35.56, 133.31

• Sukunabikona Arriving on a Wave in a Goose-Feather Boat to Assist Okuninushi

  The dwarf god Sukunabikona arrives across the waves in a tiny boat made of a feather, wearing garments of moth wings, to assist Okuninushi in creating, organizing, and healing the…

35.06, 135.63

• 773. Izanagi Slaying Kagutsuchi in Grief, the Blood Creating New Storm and Mountain Gods

  Following the death of his beloved wife Izanami during the birth of the fire god Kagutsuchi, the creator deity Izanagi was consumed by profound grief and rage. Drawing his ten-gras…

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• The Death of Izanami and the Birth of Kagutsuchi

  During the early ages of creation, the primordial goddess Izanami was fatally burned while giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. Her tragic demise introduced death into the…

36.78, 138.06

• Ame-no-Tajikarao Throwing the Cave Door Across Japan Using His Immense Strength

  When the sun goddess Amaterasu hid inside the Heavenly Rock Cave, plunging the entire universe into absolute darkness, the heavenly deities devised a plan to lure her out. The phys…

34.74, 135.33

• Izanami Giving Birth to the Deformed Leech-Child Hiruko

  In the Japanese creation myth, the primordial deities Izanagi and Izanami attempt their first marital ritual around the heavenly pillar, but Izanami speaks first, violating the cos…

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• Izanagi and Izanami Churning the Ocean with the Heavenly Jeweled Spear

  The primordial creator deities Izanagi and Izanami stood upon the Floating Bridge of Heaven and stirred the dark, chaotic waters below using the sacred jeweled spear, Ame-no-Nuboko…

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• Izanagi and Izanami Building the Heavenly Pillar to Consummate Their Union

  This myth describes the ancient Japanese creation story where the primordial deities Izanagi and Izanami descend to the newly formed island of Onogoro. There, they erect a monument…

35.53, 134.18

• The Eighty Brothers of Okuninushi Leaving Him to Carry Their Bags to Inaba

  The myth of Ōnamuchi (later Ōkuninushi) and his eighty brothers who travel to the province of Inaba to court Princess Yakami. While his proud brothers force Ōnamuchi to carry all t…

35.43, 133.08

• Susanoo Born from Izanagi's Nose, Becoming the God of Storms and Seas

  This myth details the miraculous birth of the storm god Susanoo-no-Mikoto from the nose of the primordial creator god Izanagi during a ritual purification. Alongside his siblings A…