In the primordial age of the heavens, when the cosmos was young and the divine hierarchy was establishing its eternal rhythms, the High Plain of Heaven, Takamagahara, was ruled by the benevolent sun goddess Amaterasu. Her brilliance illuminated the mortal world below, bringing warmth and life to the lands of Japan. By her side, her brother Tsukuyomi, the elegant and quiet god of the moon, assisted in managing the celestial realms. Together, they maintained the delicate balance of day and night, though they shared the same celestial dome, their paths crossing in constant, harmonious succession.
One day, word reached the ears of Amaterasu regarding a remarkable goddess named Ukemochi, also known as Ōgetsu-hime, who resided in the earthly realms. Ukemochi was whispered to possess an extraordinary power over food, capable of creating bountiful, miraculous feasts out of nothingness to sustain life. Recognizing the importance of agriculture and nourishment for the developing world, Amaterasu wished to foster goodwill with this potent deity. However, being the sun, she could not easily leave her station without plunging the cosmos into sudden darkness. She therefore summoned her brother, Tsukuyomi, and requested that he descend to the earthly plane as her personal envoy to pay respects to the food goddess and inspect her wondrous abilities.
Tsukuyomi, dressed in his finest robes of midnight blue and silver, accepted the sisterly command. He descended the floating bridge of heaven, crossing the boundary between the mortal and immortal realms with silent, ethereal grace. Upon reaching the earthly land, he made his way to the dwelling of Ukemochi. The goddess of food welcomed the moon deity with great reverence, feeling deeply honored that a high god of Takamagahara had traveled so far to visit her humble abode. Eager to display her hospitality and show her incredible gifts, she immediately set about preparing a magnificent banquet for her celestial guest.
As Tsukuyomi sat waiting in the reception hall, he observed the preparations with quiet curiosity. However, curiosity quickly turned to mounting horror and profound disgust as he watched the method by which Ukemochi created her culinary masterpieces. The goddess did not harvest grains from the field, nor did she gather wild fruits from the trees. Instead, she turned to her own divine physical form. Facing the ocean, she spit out a glittering array of fresh, succulent fish. Turning toward the deep forests, she spat out various game meats. Then, facing the wide plains, she discharged vast quantities of rich, polished rice and boiled grains from her nose, her mouth, and her rectum.
With meticulous care and great pride, Ukemochi arranged these expulsions onto elegant, lacquered serving tables, transforming the biological discharge into an eye-catching, aromatic feast fit for a king. She then carried the trays into the reception hall and presented them to Tsukuyomi with a low, respectful bow, inviting him to partake of the divine bounty.
Tsukuyomi, however, was a deity of supreme refinement, cleanliness, and celestial purity. To him, the act of preparing food from bodily wastes and fluids was an unspeakable defilement, a direct insult to his high status as a ruler of heaven. His face grew pale, then flushed with an intense, burning fury. He stood up from his cushion, his eyes flashing with indignation. He shouted at Ukemochi, accusing her of offering him filth and garbage under the guise of hospitality, questioning how she dared to feed a clean heavenly deity food that had emerged from her own digestive tract and lower orifices.
Before the startled Ukemochi could explain the sacred nature of her self-sustaining magic, Tsukuyomi drew his sharp, gleaming sword. In a single, swift motion driven by pride and pure disgust, he struck down the food goddess, slaying her on the spot. As her life blood pooled on the floor, Tsukuyomi turned his back on her lifeless form, sheathed his blade, and departed back up to the High Plain of Heaven, leaving her corpse behind.
Upon his return to the celestial court, Tsukuyomi presented himself before his sister, Amaterasu. With a sense of self-righteousness, he recounted his journey, explaining how the food goddess had insulted them by preparing food from her bodily impurities, and how he had executed her to preserve the honor and purity of the heavenly gods.