Shinto, “the way of the Gods,” has been the folk religion of Japan for thousands of years, even after being partially subsumed into Buddhism. It resembles Taoism in many ways, with a focus on harmony with nature and ancestor veneration. Another key part of Shinto is the worship of the kami, which we’ll discuss shortly along with some of the most well-known tales, giving some general context about this belief system.
Most of what we know about Shinto belief can be traced back to two documents commissioned in 712 and 720 CE: Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and Nihon Shoki (lit. Chronicle of Japan). They outline the genealogy of the kami as well as some of the earliest Emperors.
What Are Kami?
The cornerstone of Shinto is the reverence of the kami. Although the word “kami” is often translated as “god,” it is closer to “spirit” or “essence.” Literally everything is said to house a kami. They are not necessarily immortal (as we’ll see in the stories) or more powerful than humans. They may not even manifest as sentient beings: another translation for the word is “phenomenon.” Humans upon death can become kami — many clans claimed descent from one or another, and the Imperial line claimed Amaterasu-no-Omikami as a direct ancestor until the end of World War II.
The kami are said to embody aspects of yin and yang; if they are appeased and respected, they promote prosperity. If neglected, disharmony results. Both are aspects of the whole. The culture of Japan, a country with infamously volatile natural phenomena (earthquakes and tsunamis for example), traditionally focuses on respect and the appeasement of natural forces.
1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth
Before the dawn of time, there was nothing but undifferentiated chaos, resembling the Greco-Roman creation myths. The Kojiki describes this state as a dark, cold, jelly-like mass. The chaos gave form to matter which separated into ame (Heaven) and tsuchi (Earth). Then came the first kami: Ame-no-Minakanushi, Takamimusubi, and Kamimusubi. The suffix “-musubi” refers to the spark of creation, the dawning of order from chaos. These kami then gave birth to seven more kami, the most notable of which are Izanagi and Izanami, pictured above.
Izanagi, standing on the bridge of the heavens, used a jeweled spear to stir the roiling mass of chaos. When he drew it free, the droplets that fell back formed Onogoro, the first of the islands of Japan. The two went to the island and, after one unsuccessful attempt at creating a child (which led to Hiruko, the kami of fishermen), they went back to the heavens and were ordered to try again. Izanagi and Izanami walked around the island, he greeted her, and their next children were the other islands of Japan.
2. The Death of Izanami-no-Mikoto and the Descent to Yomi
Izanami gave birth to Kagutsuchi, the kami of fire, but in doing so was mortally wounded from internal burns. The injuries caused her to lose control of her bodily functions, and the excretion formed a host of other kami. As she lay dying, Izanagi wept. In enraged grief, he took up his sword and cut the infant Kagutsuchi into eight pieces, which became eight volcanoes that were cast over the land.
In his desire to see his beloved again, Izanagi traveled to Yomi, the world of the dead. He was able to find her somehow, but as it was pitch-black he could not see her. He begged her to come back to the earthly realm, but she declined because she had eaten the food of Yomi. Izanami entreated her husband to wait for her and under no circumstances to look at her while she tried to get herself released. Readers familiar with Greek myth might notice similarities to the stories of Persephone, and Orpheus and Eurydice.
Izanagi lit a torch and saw that his wife’s body was already decomposed and maggot-ridden. In fear and disgust, he dropped the torch and fled the underworld, a wrathful Izanami at his heels. Upon reaching the entrance to the living world, he sealed it with a massive boulder and washed himself in a nearby river to purify himself, because cleanliness is of tantamount importance in Shinto belief, and being near the dead is considered impure. From his left eye came sun kami Amaterasu, from the right, moon kami Tsukuyomi, and from his nose, storm kami Susanoo. These three are considered some of the most important deities in Japanese myth.
3. The Darkening of the World
Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo were appointed to rule the heavens and the seas respectively while Tsukuyomi was appointed to rule over the night. Amaterasu and Susanoo had a rivalry, to say the least; Susanoo, like many storm gods in mythology, had a temper. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki differ in their versions of the tale, but the gist is that the two siblings disputed which deities that spawned from their items (a sword from Amaterasu and a necklace from Susanoo) would serve who. Susanoo proclaimed that he had won their contest. He demolished Amaterasu’s rice fields, defecated on the floor of her palace, and threw the flayed corpse of a dead horse at her weaving loom, killing a servant maid.
Enraged at this profound disrespect, Amaterasu hid herself in a cave, causing sunlight to vanish from the world, and no matter what she would not come out. Without sunlight, crops could not grow. The other kami sought counsel. Eventually, they decided to hold a feast outside the entrance to Amaterasu’s cave.
Ame-no-Uzume, the kami of merriment, stripped and danced for the other gods, who enjoyed the show so much that the sound of their festivities (along with a strategically placed mirror and jewel) drew Amaterasu out. She saw her own reflection in the mirror and wanted to take a closer look, and when she stepped past the cave, it was sealed off with a rope. Sunlight returned to the world.
4. The Redemption of Susanoo-no-Mikoto
For his part in nearly destroying all life in his sibling rivalry. Susanoo was exiled to Izumo province in the mortal world. During his wanderings when trying to get out of the rain, he found a couple in mourning. Their daughters, aside from their youngest Kushinada-hime, had been taken and eaten by an eight-headed serpent, Yamata-no-Orochi. Susanoo agreed to save Kushinada-hime if she would become his bride. The couple agreed, and Susanoo transformed the girl into a comb which he put in his hair.
He then instructed them to make a platform with gates and place eight barrels of the strongest sake they could brew onto the platforms. Orochi drank the sake, got drunk, and while it was unconscious Susanoo killed it. In its tail was embedded the sword Ame-no-Murakumo, later called Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. He took this sword to Amaterasu and gifted it to her in a sincere effort at reconciliation, and she accepted. The sword is one of the three Sacred Treasures.
5. The Three Sacred Treasures
The Three Sacred Treasures have been a part of Japanese mythology and history for as long as the Imperial line has lasted. They are the sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the mirror Yata-no-Kagami, and the jewel Yasakani-no-Magatama. No one knows who crafted the items, either from a mythological or historical standpoint, because of how far back their history stretches, and because the government of Japan keeps them from being analyzed with archaeological dating methods such as radioactive isotope dating. The mirror and jewel are said to be the same that were used to bring Amaterasu out of hiding.
The original sword was lost during the final battle of the Gempei War when the child Emperor Antoku was thrown overboard into the sea along with the treasures — the mirror and jewel were later recovered, and are currently kept out of public view. The artifacts represent the three virtues of Shinto: Valor, Benevolence, and Wisdom.
6. The First Emperor
The final foundational story we’ll discuss is the connection to the Emperor. Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the grandson of Amaterasu, was gifted the three treasures and told to go to earth and replace Okuninushi, the kami of agriculture, who had been the leader of the kunitsu-no-kami. He attempted to do so but was at first blocked by Okuninushi, and Ame-no-Uzume persuaded him to let Ninigi pass.
Ninigi took a wife, Konohanasakuya-hime, the kami of volcanoes, and had children. Three generations later, the first Emperor of Japan, Jimmu-tenno, was enthroned, and although traditionally this is said to have occurred in 660 BCE, there isn’t any historical evidence to corroborate it. The earliest Emperor of Japan whose existence and dates are historically verified is Kinmei, the 29th in the lineage. Prior to this, it gets murky and hard to confirm.
The Emperors of Japan are believed to form an unbroken line of descent from Amaterasu until the end of World War II. At this time, Emperor Hirohito (posthumously named Showa) renounced his claim to divine lineage in the Humanity Declaration, issued at the request of General Douglas MacArthur in his efforts to democratize Japan.
Shinto remains a staple of life in Japan today, with numerous festivals commemorating important events throughout the year.
