Myths about Izumo

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 across the Japanese archipelago, developing agriculture, establishing the arts of medicine, and taming wild beasts to make the land habitable. Their collaborative efforts laid the physical and spiritual foundations of...

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 land of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni. Together, they establish medicine, hot springs, agricultural techniques, and sake-brewing to benefit humanity before Sukunabikona eventually departs for the eternal land of Tokoyo no...

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 him to a series of deadly trials, but with the help of Suseri-hime and a helpful field mouse, Onamuji survives them all. Finally, Onamuji outwits the storm god by tying Susanoo's hair to the palace rafters while he...

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 terrifying trial, Suserihime secretly gifts him a mystical, venom-repelling scarf. By waving the sacred garment three times, Okuninushi tames a chamber overflowing with aggressive, poisonous snakes, cementing their love...

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 to a series of deadly trials, beginning by locking him in a chamber filled entirely with venomous snakes. With the help of Suseri-hime's magical scarf, Okuninushi survives this and subsequent trials to eventually...

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. Upon his arrival, Okuninushi met Susanoo's daughter, Princess Suserihime, and the two immediately fell in love. Despite the grueling and lethal trials Susanoo forced upon his daughter's suitor, Suserihime's devotion...

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 by Ōkuninushi's cruel brothers. Ōkuninushi kindly advised the suffering hare to wash in a freshwater river and roll in the healing pollen of cattails. Once restored, the grateful hare prophesied that Ōkuninushi...

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 their heavy luggage, they encounter a suffering, skinless hare on the coast of Inaba. The brothers trick the hare with painful advice, but the compassionate Ōnamuchi offers the correct remedy, earning the gratitude...

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 arriving in a serene valley in Izumo, his heart felt deeply refreshed, and he named the location Suga. As he constructed his bridal palace, magnificent layered clouds arose from the earth to wrap the estate in a...

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 of Izumo, he saw beautiful, rising clouds and felt a profound sense of peace, prompting him to build a magnificent eightfold palace. This sacred construction marked the birth of Shinto shrine architecture and the...