In the rich tapestry of Japanese mythology, few figures are as central or as complex as Izanami-no-Mikoto (伊邪那美命), one of the primordial deities responsible for the creation of the Japanese islands and gods. Alongside her consort and brother Izanagi-no-Mikoto, Izanami occupies a crucial role in the Shinto pantheon, embodying both the sacred essence of life and the fearsome aspects of death.
The Role of Izanami in Creation
According to Japan's oldest mythological texts—the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)—the universe began in chaos, a shapeless and formless mass. From this primordial state, deities emerged spontaneously. Eventually, the divine pair Izanami ("She Who Invites") and Izanagi ("He Who Invites") were commanded by the elder gods to solidify the earth.
Standing on the Ame-no-ukihashi, the Floating Bridge of Heaven, Izanagi and Izanami stirred the brine below with the Ame-no-nuboko (Heavenly Jeweled Spear). When they lifted the spear, droplets fell and formed the first island, Onogoro-shima. The couple descended and built a palace, performing a sacred marriage ritual. However, in their first union, Izanami spoke first—a transgression in the cosmic order. Their first offspring were malformed, prompting the gods to declare the ritual invalid. They repeated the ceremony with Izanagi initiating the union, and from that moment, the Japanese archipelago and its myriad deities were born.
Life, Death, and Transformation
The story takes a tragic turn when Izanami gives birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. The pain and burning from this birth mortally wounds her. As she lies dying, more deities are born from her bodily fluids and excretions—continuing the cycle of life even in death. Ultimately, Izanami dies and descends into Yomi-no-kuni, the land of the dead, which is akin to the underworld in Western traditions.
Devastated, Izanagi ventures into Yomi to retrieve her. However, he is warned not to look at her. Overcome by anxiety and love, he disobeys and lights a fire, revealing Izanami’s decomposing corpse crawling with maggots. Horrified, he flees, and a furious Izanami vows to kill 1,000 people each day. In response, Izanagi declares he will create 1,500 new lives daily, setting in motion the eternal balance of life and death.
Thus, Izanami becomes a goddess of both creation and death—a paradoxical and powerful archetype representing the inescapable cycle of existence.
Symbolism and Legacy
Izanami’s transformation from life-giver to death-dealer is unique in global mythology. Unlike most creator deities who remain distant or benevolent, Izanami crosses into shadow and becomes something wholly different. She is often seen as a symbol of transition—between life and death, purity and pollution, order and chaos.
Her tale also underpins Shinto purity rituals. After escaping Yomi, Izanagi purifies himself by washing in a river. This act of misogi (ritual cleansing) becomes a foundational element in Shinto practice, emphasizing the need to spiritually cleanse oneself after encountering death or impurity. In fact, it is during this purification that the three most revered Shinto deities—Amaterasu (sun), Tsukuyomi (moon), and Susanoo (storm)—are born from Izanagi’s eyes and nose, further intertwining death and creation.
Modern Interpretations and Influence
Izanami continues to captivate both scholars and artists. In contemporary media—from manga and anime to video games like Ōkami and Shin Megami Tensei—Izanami is often depicted as a powerful, enigmatic figure. She may appear as a tragic lover, a wrathful goddess, or a guiding force beyond the grave.
Her story is also frequently analyzed through feminist and psychoanalytical lenses. Some scholars interpret her death during childbirth and transformation into a vengeful spirit as reflective of societal views on female power, fertility, and mortality. Others see her as an embodiment of the sacred feminine that challenges patriarchal order—especially considering how her voice, when first heard in the marriage ritual, "spoils" creation.
In a broader sense, Izanami serves as a reminder of duality—how life cannot exist without death, how creation births destruction, and how love, once lost, can transform into rage or sorrow. Her myth invites us to consider the costs of existence, the weight of grief, and the eternal interplay of opposites.
Izanami-no-Mikoto stands as one of the most profound and multifaceted figures in Japanese mythology. Her story weaves together the threads of love, loss, power, and transformation in a way that still resonates today. As a creator of worlds and a ruler of death, she represents both the beauty and the inevitability of impermanence—making her not just a mythological figure, but a philosophical one as well.
Bibliography
Aston, W.G. (Translator). Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697. Tuttle Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 9780804836746
Philippi, Donald L. Kojiki: Records of Ancient Matters University of Tokyo Press, 1969. ISBN: 9780860083208
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Routledge, 1997. ISBN: 9780700710016