In the primordial age of the cosmos, when the heavens and the earth were still swirling in a fluid, undifferentiated chaos, the primeval deities emerged from the cosmic reeds. Among the seventh generation of these divine beings were Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the Male-Who-Invites, and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the Female-Who-Invites. These two deities were bestowed with a sacred task by the heavenly gods: to solidify and shape the drifting earth. To assist them, they were given the Ame-no-nuboko, a magnificent spear adorned with precious jewels. Standing upon the Ama-no-ukihashi, the Floating Bridge of Heaven, they peered down into the formless void and thrust the jeweled spear downward, stirring the silent, briny depths below. When they withdrew the spear, the heavy droplets of brine that clung to its tip fell back into the void, coagulating and solidifying to form Onogoroshima, the island that spontaneously congealed. Descending to this newborn land, Izanagi and Izanami erected a colossal pillar, the Ame-no-mihashira, and built a vast palace around it. It was here that they conceived the ritual of marriage, walking around the sacred pillar in opposite directions. Though their first attempt at union was imperfect because Izanami spoke first—resulting in the birth of the deformed leech-child Hiruko—they corrected their ritual on the advice of the heavenly gods. Upon their second attempt, their union was blessed with boundless fertility. Together, they gave birth to the great islands of Japan, including Awaji, Iyo, and Tsukushi, and populated the land with a multitude of kami, the spirits of the mountains, rivers, winds, and seas.
For a time, the creative endeavors of Izanagi and Izanami brought unparalleled beauty and order to the world. However, the delicate balance of creation was shattered during the birth of their final child, Kagu-tsuchi, the deity of fire. As the infant fire god emerged into the world, his raging, elemental flames severely burned Izanami’s womb. The goddess fell desperately ill, her divine body wracked with agonizing fevers. Despite her suffering, even her final bodily wastes gave birth to several more deities of agriculture and clay. Yet, no amount of divine power could halt the decay of her physical form. Izanami-no-Mikoto succumbed to her injuries and passed away, leaving the mortal world behind. Izanagi’s grief was immediate and devastating. He wept bitterly, his tears falling to the earth and transforming into new deities of mourning. In a fit of wild, uncontrollable rage and sorrow, Izanagi drew his massive, ten-span sword, Ame-no-Ohabari, and struck off the head of his newborn son Kagu-tsuchi. The blood that sprayed from the blade onto the surrounding rocks gave birth to several fierce thunder and martial deities, while the fragments of the fire god’s body became the sacred mountains of Japan. Yet, the death of the fire god did nothing to ease the hollow ache in Izanagi’s chest. The world he had built felt empty and cold without his beloved partner, and he refused to accept that her departure was final.
Driven by an unyielding, desperate desire to reunite with his wife, Izanagi resolved to journey to Yomi-no-kuni, the dark, subterranean realm of the dead where the spirits of the departed reside. The path to Yomi was a long, terrifying descent into the deepest crevices of the earth. As Izanagi walked further down the dark paths, the warmth of the sun faded, replaced by a chilling, damp gloom. The vibrant colors of the living world dissolved into shadows, and the air grew thick and heavy with the scent of stagnant water and ancient decay. He traveled through narrow, winding caverns where the silence was absolute, broken only by the distant, eerie echoing of his own footsteps. After a long and arduous journey through the shadowy valleys of the underworld, Izanagi finally arrived at the massive, fortress-like gates of the palace of Yomi. The gates were constructed of dark, heavy timber and bound with cold iron, standing as an impenetrable barrier between the living and the dead. Standing before the closed gates, Izanagi cried out into the gloom, his voice rich with emotion. 'O my beloved younger sister, my dear wife Izanami! The lands that we began to create together are not yet finished. You must return with me to the world above so that we may complete our sacred work!'