Japanese

Japanese

Before creation, the only thing in existence was chaos. There was no shape. (Brians). From within this chaos, a shapeless beam of light shot forth and created the division between the Plain of Higher Heaven and the chaos (Brians, and Gallway). Three deities came from this light, Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto first, Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto second, and Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto (Brians). Over time, the Three Creators formed Izanagi and his sister-wife, Izanami. As the two stood on the Bridge of Heaven, Izanagi threw his spear into the ocean, and the water that dripped from the end became the island of Onokorojima. They met at the Hall of Eight Fathoms. The two were married on the new island. However, it was Izanami who spoke first, saying "how delightful it is to meet such handsome a youth!" The male god replied "how delightful it is to meet such a beautiful maiden!". Having reversed the order, the children they had were weak and boneless. Angered, the couple went up the Heaven to complain. They were told by a deity that the weak babies had been caused when Izanami spoke first. Seekng to fix this error, thee couple went back to the Hall of Eight Fathoms, and this time it was Izanagi who spoke first. Having rectified this error, their offspring became trees, mountains and more islands. Izanagi and Izanami were also the main producers of gods and goddesses (Piggott 14)

When giving birth to the god of fire, Kagutsuchi, Izanami was fatally burned. She passed into Yomi, or the world of darkness, after forbidding Izanagi to follow her. Unable to resist though, he too passed to Yomi in attempts to bring her back. He lit a torch in the darkness and saw Izanami's body as it rotted from the food in the underworld. Infuriated, Izanami sent evil spirits to chase Izanagi out of Yomi, as she herself could not leave. These spirits were know as The 8 ugly females of Yomi. As he purified himself in a bath (known as //harai)// three new gods and goddesses sprung from Izanagi. The sun goddess, Amaterasu, the moon god, Tsuku-yomi, and the deity Susanoo No Mikoto were created in this process (Kitamura 364-365).

When the god Amaterasu decided to put her grandson on earth, humans were created. The grandson (Ninigi no Mikoto) married a goddess of Mt. Fiji. She bore him three sons, one of which who gave birth the first (historic) Emperor of Japan, Jimmu Tenno. All emperors trace their ancestral back to Jimmu Tenno (Japanese Mythology).

Bibiliography (alphabetical order)

Brians, Paul. Excert from: //Reading About the World. Volume 1.// 3rd edition. Harcourt Brace College Publishing. 1998. Web. 02 November. 2010 <[|http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/kojiki.html] >

Brians, Paul, and Mary Gallway, eds. //Reading About the World//. 3rd ed. Orlando: Harcourt College Publishers, 1999. N. pag. Print.

"Japanese Mythology." //Myths Encyclopedia.// N.p. 2010. Web. 27 Oc 2010. .

Kitamura Bunji. "Izanagi and Izanami" //Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan.// Tokyo//:// Kodansha International Limited, 1983. Book 3 pages 364b-365a. Print.

Piggott, Juliet. "The Country and its Creation." //Japanese Mythology//. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1969. 16. Print.

1. **Jia Curry-Bild**

Piggott, Juliet. "The Country and its Creation." //Japanese Mythology//. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1969. 13-15. Print.

-- Robinson, Herbert Spencer, and Knox Wilson. "Myths and Legends of the Japanese." //Myths and Legends of All Nations//. Totowa: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1976. 56-58. Print. -- Schumacher, Mark. "Shinto Festivals in Japan." Japanese Buddhist Statuary. Mark Schumacher, 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. < http://www.onmarkproductions.com/ html/shinto-festivals.html>.
 * Every natural thing contains a //kami// (spirit)
 * Children's myths: A carp came out of the water and created tidal waves and the islands of Japan
 * Reed-like deity evolved from oily ocean along with male and female. Over time, they gave birth to gods and goddesses, who eventually gave birth to Izanagi and Izanami. The two descend to earth on the bridge of heaven, and Izanagi creates the island of Oro-koro by dipping his spear into the water. Offspring become geographical landmarks (more islands, mountains, etc). Life and Death come from "divorce" of the two.
 * Hold festivals (matsuri) to help crops grow, good health, good business, etc. (cyclical?)
 * Matsuri means descent of the gods
 * Belief that gods must decend from heavens periodically so that they are known to the humans.

2. Shawn Lu (**10/20/10)**


 * Creation of the Earth and the Japanese Islands**

Brians, Paul, and Mary Gallway, eds. //Reading About the World//. 3rd ed. Orlando: Harcourt College Publishers, 1999. N. pag. Print.
 * A shape-less mass of light shot up, and created the Plain of High Heaven.
 * From this Plain of High Heaven, a deity was created. Then, two others were created.
 * The earth also began to take shape.
 * The heavens had two deities begin to shape the chaotic earth to //terra firma//.
 * Later, two deities created the Hall of Eight Fathoms, and the male and female deities went around the pillars.
 * Having seen each other, the female deity exclaimed "how happy I am to meet such a handsome youth", to which the male deity responded "how happy I am to meet such a beautiful maiden."
 * They fell in love, but the children they produced were weak and boneless.
 * Having failed several times, the deities went to Heaven to complain. The deities above told them that they must rectify the error and let the male deity speak first.
 * Having fixed their errors, the two deities' children had no faults, and they became the islands Awaji, Shikoku, Oki, Kyushu, Tsushina and finally, Honshu, the main island of Japan.


 * The creation of trees and rocks:**

Piggott, Juliet. "The Country and its Creation." //Japanese Mythology//. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1969. 16. Print.
 * In Japan, there are stories of trees with strange/beautiful shapes. One such story is that a girl and a boy left their village, and talked of their love. As morning rose, the were transformed into the pine trees.
 * Another story is that a pair of lovers who died at the same time were turned into pines. Pines represent prosperous old age and fidelity.


 * The creation of rocks**
 * In ancient times, Matsura was a major port that took people to mainland Asia. She stood, waving her lover goodbye, until her body turned into the rock.


 * (10/27/10)**

"Japanese Mythology." //Myths Encyclopedia.// N.p. 2010. Web. 27 Oc 2010. .

A list of Japanese Deities,


 * It is said that Izanami died while giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the fire-god.
 * In sorrow, even more gods and goddesses began to appear.
 * Saddened by the loss of Izanami, Izanagi tried to bring her back. He descended into the underworld, and tried to bring her back. He was unsuccessful, as Izanami's body had already began to decay. He could not resist looking at her one last time. Angered that she had been seen, Izanami sent spirits to chase Izanagi.

"Japanese Mythology." //Encyclopedia.// N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3490900275.

Humans were created by Amaterasu when she put her grandson on Earth. He married a goddess of Mount Fiji, who bore him 3 sons. One of the sons was Jimmu Tenno, whom all future emperors of Japan would claim ancestor-ship with.

3. **Roberto Chapa**

Grapard, Allan G. "Cosmogony" //Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan.// Tokyo//:// Kodansha International Limited, 1983. Book 2 page 38b. Print.

--- Earhart, H. Byron. "religion" //Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan.// Tokyo//:// Kodansha International Limited, 1983.Book 6 page 290b. Print.
 * Izanagi and Izanami created islands of Japan. This happened through intercourse and purification.
 * The introduction of Chinese religions, like Confucianism and Taoism, influenced and changed the views.

--- Kitamura Bunji. "Izanagi and Izanami" //Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan.// Tokyo//:// Kodansha International Limited, 1983. Book 3 pages 364b-365a. Print.
 * Shinto is the only major organized religion throughout Japan.
 * Kamis are indigenous gods.
 * In the 8 century there was a story about an emperor created from the gods in Kajiki and Nihon Shoki.

--- De Mente, Boye Lafayette. "Shinto/ Way of the Gods." //Japan Encyclopedia//. Chicago: Passport Books, 1995. 446-8. Print.
 * Izanami, the female, and Izanagi, the male, are the deities that created Japan.
 * The story says that both deities stood on the floating Bridge of Heaven. From this bridge they threw a heavenly spear into the ocean. The water that dripped from the spear became the island of Onokorojima. On this island, Izanagi and Izanami were married and gave birth to gods, mountains, trees, rivers, and plants.
 * Izanami dies after giving birth to the fire deity. Izanagi then kills the fire deity and goes to the nether world to find Izanami. There, Izanami is transformed from death. "The 8 ugly females of Yomi" then chase Izanagi because he broke the treaty by looking at Izanami. This is why there is a seperation of the living world and the dead.
 * Izanagi then performs a ceramony that creates the sun goddess, the moon god, and the deity Susanoo No Mikoto.


 * Greater gods must be worshiped in jinja (temples).

---

"**Izanagi and Izanami**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 03 Nov. 2010 <[]>.


 * The purifying ceremony that Izanagi performs is called //harai.//
 * This site corroborated a lot of the data from past sources.

Brians, Paul. Excert from: //Reading About the World. Volume 1.// 3rd edition. Harcourt Brace College Publishing. 1998. Web. 02 November. 2010 <[|http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/kojiki.html]>


 * Everything was chaos before creation
 * No shape
 * Something light appeared and formed heaven
 * Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto (the Deity-of-the-August-Center-of-Heaven) materialized
 * Folllowed by Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto (the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity),
 * Then Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto (the Divine-Producing-Wondrous-Deity) was born.
 * These three deities are called the Three Creating Dieties.