Creation Myth figures
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Kuni-no-Tokotachi (国之常立 / 国常立)
One of the first deities that came out during the chaos that predates the creation of the world. He's the eventual ancestor of Izanagi, Izanami and other Shinto Gods. His spirit is known to reside in Mt. Fuji.
- No Biological Sex: He is one of the so-called hitorigami, gods who came into existence by themselves, and not as part of a male-female pair. As a result, he is genderless.
- Nature Spirit: He resides in Mount Fuji.
Izanagi (伊邪那岐 / 伊弉諾)
Descendant of Kuni-no-Tokotachi, together with his sister Izanami, he shaped the Earth (and majorly Japan). He married his sister, had many children, but then suffered a falling out with her after her death, and afterwards gave birth to other major kami out there.
- Abdicate the Throne: After conceiving Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susano'o, Izanagi retreated from the world, dividing control over the universe to them. In the narrative of the Kojiki, he appeared only once afterwards, banishing Susano'o from the heavens towards the underworld so he could be near his mother.
- Couple Theme Naming: His name is identical to Izanami save for the last syllable which denotes his gender, and it means "He who invites".
- Heal It with Water: Following his disastrous journey to the underworld, he ritually cleansed himself (misogi), giving birth to the Three Precious Children in the process.
- Maternal Death? Blame the Child!: When Izanami died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, Izanagi was so consumed with grief and anger that he killed the newborn son.
- Offing the Offspring: Killed his son Kagutsuchi for inadvertently killing his mother.
- Rescued from the Underworld: Tried to rescue Izanami from Yomi, but abandoned the plans once he saw how horrific Izanami had become as a denizen of the underworld.
- Truly Single Parent: Gave birth to the Three Precious Children by himself.
Izanami (伊邪那美 / 伊弉冉)
Descendant of Kuni-no-Tokotachi, sister and wife of Izanagi, shaping the Earth together. Died after giving birth to the kami of volcanoes, Kagutsuchi, who was then killed by Izanagi out of grief. Got sent to the underworld/yomi and when Izanagi saw her, she's already a rotting corpse, he freaked out and left her alone sealed in the underworld. Pissed off, Izanami swore to kill 1000 men every day while Izanagi countered that he'll give birth to 1500 men every day.
- Body Horror: Izanagi learned the horrific truth about Izanami when he lit a torch to take a peek at her. Her body was a rotting flesh with maggots and other horrible creatures running all over. The sight shocked him enough that he immediately decided to get the hell out of Yomi.
- Then there's also the fact she died giving birth to the god of fire.
- Couple Theme Naming: Her name is identical to Izanagi save for the last syllable which denotes her gender, and it means "She who invites".
- Death by Childbirth: She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, who, being the god of fire, immolated her alive.
- Food Chains: Because she already ate food from the underworld, she became stuck and unable to return to the land of the living. However, she did attempt to ask permission to leave, until Izanagi disobeyed her orders not to look at her.
- God of the Dead: Implicitly transformed into a goddess of death after her own death, as she now had control over the lives of mortals.
- Greater-Scope Villain: She's the reason why humans die all the time.
- Woman Scorned: Out of spite for Izanagi abandoning her, Izanami decreed that 1,000 humans will die every day.
Major Kami
Amaterasu (天照)
- Brother–Sister Incest: In some myths, she is married to her brother Tsukuyomi.
- Cue the Sun: She hid in a rock cave during an argument with Susano'o, causing the entire world to be enveloped in darkness. It took the efforts of the entire pantheon to find a way to convince her to return.
- Distracted by My Own Sexy: In the Ama-no-Iwato legend, the gods managed to lure Amaterasu out by hanging a mirror in front of the cave. When she became curious by the laughter outside the cave (caused by Uzume's naked dancing), she peeked outside and was enamored by a beautiful goddess (read: herself) appearing on the mirror, giving time for Ame-no-Tajikarao to close the cave.
- Divine Parentage: The mythical first emperor of Japan, Jimmu, is Amaterasu's great-great-great-grandson, thus making the entire family descended from her as well.
- God of Light: She is the goddess of the sun, and is usually depicted with rays of sun behind her head.
- Greater-Scope Paragon: She served as the divine sponsor of her descendants during their pacification of the earthly world, giving them revelations that would help them in their journey.
- The High Queen: She was made queen of heaven due to her radiant beauty and compassion, and was loved by all as the goddess of the sun. She was rarely, if ever, overshadowed by any of the male deities or portrayed as having a dark side.
- Light Is Good: The sun goddess is the ruler of the gods and consistently portrayed as benevolent.
- Night and Day Duo: It's said that the sun is always far away from the moon because Amaterasu vowed never to see Tsukuyomi again after he killed Ukemochi out of disgust.
- The Power of the Sun: She represents the sun. Since Japanese emperors are traditionally considered to be her descendants, the Japanese nation is also called the "Child of the Sun".
- Sibling Rivalry: She is antagonistic to both of her younger brothers, Tsukuyomi and Susano'o, the former because he killed Ukemochi over a perceived slight, the latter because he desecrated her palace and killed one of her servants during a mad victory march after he won a competition with her. However, Susano'o eventually made peace with Amaterasu by presenting her with Kusanagi, the sword he found after killing Orochi.
- Top God: Amaterasu is one of the rare examples of a Queen of the Gods, ruling over the Japanese pantheon by herself rather than being the wife of one.
Tsukuyomi (月読)
One of the big three deities, son of Izanagi after he escaped Yomi. He's generally more reserved and holds the domain of the Moon. He's usually in the good graces of Amaterasu and might have followed the example from father and mother dearest of marrying his own sister until the wedding banquet where he found out that the food served by Uke Mochi was made in a disgusting manner. He swiftly killed Uke Mochi for that, and Amaterasu was disgusted, cancelled their wedding and would never look at Tsukuyomi again, which was why sun and moon were separated and the world has this thing called "day and night".
- Ambiguous Gender: While typically invisioned as male (which is actually not uncommon in the region; see Ainu and Korean moon gods for instance), some texts portray the moon deity as ambiguously gendered.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Most versions of his story says that he and Amaterasu were going to get married before the incident with Uke Mochi. Though some versions makes their relation less romantic and the thing with Uke Mochi happened in a dinner party.
- God of the Moon: Tsukuyomi is the god of the Moon and brother to Amaterasu, the goddess of the Sun. According to one legend, Tsukuyomi killed the goddess of food and Amaterasu was so offended by his violent act she demanded to never see him again. Thus, the sun and the moon now rise separately.
- Jerkass: The few surviving myths seem to consistently portray Tsukuyomi as petty. Best known is his murder of Uke Mochi simply due to her means of producing food, but region-specific stories also portray him in bride-kidnapping and cursing the people.
- Middle Child Syndrome: While Amaterasu, the oldest sister, is a highly respected god and Susano'o, the youngest brother, is famous for his exploits against Yamata-no-Orochi, the middle brother Tsukuyomi hardly has any stories told about him.
- Night and Day Duo: It's said that the sun is always far away from the moon because Amaterasu vowed never to see Tsukuyomi again after he killed Ukemochi out of disgust.
- Out of Focus: Compared to Amaterasu and Susano'o, there is only one notable story that focuses on Tsukuyomi.
Susano'o (須佐之男 / 素戔嗚)
One of the big three deities, son of Izanagi after he escaped Yomi. He's the impetuous, restless and rebellious Storm God that he's very much a Jerkass to other Gods, and after he made a ruckus that shamed Amaterasu, other Gods kicked him out of heaven, forcing him on a Redemption Quest where he saved Kushinada-hime and the land from the terror of Yamata no Orochi, finding Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi from the creature, presented it to Amaterasu as a reconciliation and then accepted back to Heaven as a slightly more tempered God.
- Cool Sword: Found the legendary Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi after killing Orochi, which he gifted to Amaterasu as a reconciliation present. The sword was later renamed to Kusanagi and became one of the three sacred regalia of the Japanese imperial family.
- Demonization: It's possible that the conflicting personalities Susano'o had, as well as his rivalry with Amaterasu, represents the sun-worshipping Yamato dynasty's triumph over their rivaling dynasties at the time. The fact that his mortal descendants eventually swore fealty to Amaterasu's descendants (Kuniyuzuri) supports this theory.
- The Dragonslayer: He slayed Yamata-no-Orochi.
- Engagement Challenge: Before Okuninushi was allowed to marry his daughter, Suserihime, Susano'o gave him four trials, which he passed with flying colors. Even afterwards, Okuninushi was only able to secure the marriage by distracting Susano'o long enough for him to escape from the underworld with Suserihime, leading Susano'o to give his grudging blessings to the new couple.
- The Exile: Twice. First, he was exiled by Izanagi for his incessant longing for Izanami. This apparently didn't stick, as he was able to approach Amaterasu to hold the ukehi ritual. This led to his infamous tantrum, which resulted in his banishment from Takamagahara for good.
- God of the Dead: After he was banished from heaven, Susano'o eventually descended to the underworld and became its ruler. This underworld is called "Ne-no-Kuni", and its exact connection with Yomi, the place where Izanami resides, is a bit unclear.
- Jerkass: While celebrating his win over Amaterasu at the ukehi contest, Susano'o went on a mad revel, desecrating her palace and farms and throwing a pony at one of her servants, killing her.
- Lord of the Ocean: He presides over the seas, particularly the raging waves during storms.
- Momma's Boy: Izanami is technically not his mom, but Susano'o wept to be reunited with her anyway, which annoyed Izanagi enough to banish him to the underworld, so he could meet her.
- Sibling Rivalry: Had a long-running one with Amaterasu, which ended only after Susano'o gave her Kusanagi, a sword he found in Orochi's corpse.
Other Kami
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (天津甕星)
A mysterious god of stars. He has an obscure origin, but what is certain is that he is consistently mentioned as an "enemy" of the heavenly gods. According to Nihon Shoki, he was the last obstacle to Takemikazuchi's pacification of Japan, before Ninigi could settle down and rule over it.
- Final Boss: The last enemy that the heavenly host had to tackle before Earth could be safely settled by Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi.
- God of Light: His name means "August Star of Heaven", and he is thought to depict the planet Venus.
- Light Is Not Good: A god associated with light (one of his epithets is literally "Brilliant Male") yet typically considered evil.
Ame-no-Uzume (天宇受売 / 天鈿女)
The goddess of dawn and revelry. She famously figured into the myth of Ama-no-Iwato, when she had the clever idea to lure Amaterasu out of hiding by dancing in front of the rock cave.
- Big Fun: An interpretation is that the sight of a naked, portly woman dancing was too ridiculous for anyone not to break into laughter.
- Defeat Means Friendship: She charmed Sarutahiko to allow Ninigi enter Earth. Not only it worked, but Sarutahiko was enamored by Uzume and married her.
- Even the Girls Want Her: One interpretation of the myth is that Amaterasu finds it attractive to see her naked.
- God of Light: Represents the first light of the day. Quite fitting, since she literally brought the sun back to the world.
- Magic Dance: Her dancing is said to inspire the Shinto ritual dancing of Kagura.
- Naked People Are Funny: Rather than arousal, the gods who saw her dancing naked laughed, distracting Amaterasu long enough for Ame-no-Tajikarao to close the cave opening.
Kagutsuchi (軻遇突智 / 加具土)
The god of fire, he was Izanagi's last child with Izanami. His mother died giving birth to him, and out of grief, his father killed him on the spot. Out of his body came volcanoes and numerous deities.
- God of Fire: He represents fire. Izanami was immolated alive while giving birth to him, and when he was killed, volcanoes sprang up all over Japan.
- Truly Single Parent: From his corpse, he begot many deities, such as Takemikazuchi.
Konohanasakuya-hime (木花咲耶姫 / 木花開耶姫)
The goddess of flowers, specifically cherry blossoms, daughter of mountain god Oyamatsumi. She also personifies Mount Fuji, and to this day, Japanese people maintain a shrine dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime, Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha, in the nearby city of Fujinomiya to keep it from erupting. She married Ninigi during his conquest of Japan and became great-grandmother to Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan.
- Cherry Blossom Girl: She is quite literally one.
- Hot Consort: Ninigi fell in love with her because of her beauty, and quickly set about to marry her.
- "Just So" Story: The reason why humans have short lifespan is because by picking Konohanasakuya-hime, who personifies cherry blossoms, over her sister, Iwanaga-hime, who personifies stones, Ninigi had chosen fleeting life like cherry blossoms instead of an everlasting one like stones.
- Self-Immolation: When Ninigi accused her of adultery, she entered a hut before setting it on fire, stating that if the accusations were untrue, she would emerge unscathed. And indeed, she did.
Ninigi (瓊瓊杵)
Amaterasu's grandson, he was sent by her to Earth as part of the heavenly subjugation of the earthly realm (Kuniyuzuri) with the help of other gods. He married Konohanasakuya-hime and conceived three sons, the youngest of whom, Hoori, would in turn conceive Ugayafukiaezu, the father of Emperor Jimmu. Ninigi was gifted the Three Sacred Treasures, which continue to be passed through the imperial family to the present day.
- Laser-Guided Karma: He rejected Iwanaga-hime because she was ugly. This ended up shortening not only his lifespan, but all of humanity.
- Love at First Sight: He fell in love with Konohanasakuya-hime this way.
- MacGuffin: Before descending to Earth, he received the Three Sacred Treasures from Amaterasu: the Sword of Kusanagi (a sword Susano'o collected from Orochi), the Yata Mirror (the mirror that the gods utilized to lure her out of the cave when she went hiding), and Yasakani no Magatama (stone jewels).
- My Girl Is Not a Slut: Because she became pregnant not long after they married, he accused Konohanasakuya-hime of adultery. To prove her fidelity, she and her sons entered a hut before setting it on fire. They came out unscathed, proving that the gods had judged her to be faithful.
- Overly Long Name: He also goes by Ame-nigishi-kuni-nigishi-amatsuhiko-hiko-ho-no-ninigi-no-Mikoto (天邇岐志国邇岐志天津日高日子番能邇邇芸命), say that three times fast
Okuninushi (大国主)
A legendary ruler of Japan and Susano'o's great-great-great-great-grandson, Okuninushi was the last of the earthly rulers (Kunitsukami) until he was forced to give up his claim by messengers sent by Amaterasu, who wanted to send her grandson, Ninigi, to rule the realm. Before then, he led a colorful life, among other things, enduring a lifetime of abuse by his brothers while seeking to win over approval from Susano'o to marry his daughter.
- Back from the Dead: His brothers murdered him twice, but he was brought back by his mother every time. The second time, she sent him into hiding so they won't try to kill him again.
- Big Brother Bully: He had eighty of them, all of whom conspired to kill him because of their jealousy that he was betrothed to Yagamihime.
- The Chosen One: In return for helping it, the White Hare of Inaba prophesied that Okuninushi would be the one to marry Yagamihime, and would triumph over his brothers.
- Engagement Challenge: Susano'o had him take four life-threatening tasks before he could marry Suserihime, the point being to deny him the chance to marry her. Of course, he passed through all of them.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Having seen his sons yielding to Takemikazuchi, Okuninushi chose to surrender to Amaterasu's lineage and retreat to the unseen world.
- Polyamory: In addition to Yagamihime and Suserihime, he also had four other wives.
- Written by the Winners: The triumph of the heavenly deities over the earthly deities is clearly an allegory of the Yamato dynasty's conquest of the rest of Japan, including Izumo province, where Okuninushi was based. Despite this, he is still deeply honored by the Yamato court; the present-day Izumo Taisha, the second-most sacred site in Shinto, is dedicated to him.
Oyamatsumi (大山津見 / 大山祇)
The god of mountains. He was the grandfather of Kushinada-hime, the maiden Susano'o saved from Orochi. Much later on, he also gave his daughter Konohanasakuya-hime in marriage to Ninigi upon his arrival on Earth.
- Multiple-Choice Past: He was either one of Izanagi's many children with Izanami, or born out of Kagutsuchi's corpse after Izanagi killed him.
- Parental Marriage Veto: He was upset when Ninigi preferred to choose Konohanasakuya-hime over Iwanaga-hime, whom Oyamatsumi wanted to give in marriage to him. He eventually acceded, but declared that from this point onward, human lives would be short and fleeting like cherry blossoms (which Konohanasakuya-hime personified), instead of everlasting like stones (which Iwanaga-hime personified).
Takemikazuchi (建御雷 / 武甕槌)
A martial arts god and the first ever sumo wrestler, born from Kagutsuchi's corpse. He was sent by Amaterasu to pacify Japan until it could be safely settled by her grandson, Ninigi.
- The Catfish: Woodblock paintings frequently depict him subduing a gigantic catfish.
- Cool Sword: The Sword of Totsuka, which was planted into the ground as a way to mark the start of his conquest.
- Crushing Handshake: He crushed Takeminakata's hands upon holding them.
- Myopic Conqueror: Averted. Although he was given the job to conquer Japan, it was to make way for Ninigi to rule over it.
- Sumo Wrestling: His sparring with Takeminakata, Okuninushi's son, is said to be the first ever sumo wrestling match.
Watatsumi (綿津見 / 海神)
The god of the sea, son of Izanagi and Izanami. He is usually equated with Ryujin (龍神), a sea dragon god, and as a result is often depicted as a sea dragon. He is also ancestor to the Japanese imperial family by way of his two daughters; the elder, Toyotama-hime, married Ninigi's son Hoori, while the younger, Tamayori-hime, married Hoori's son, Ugayafukiaezu, with whom she conceived Emperor Jimmu.
- Lord of the Ocean: He is the supreme lord of the ocean, and all sea animals answer to him.
- MacGuffin: He gave Hoori tide jewels (kanju), which could control tides, for use in deposing his brother, Hoderi. Tide jewels also popped up in the legend of Empress Jingu, in which she used them to help her subjugate the Korean kingdom of Silla.
- Sea Monster: He is usually depicted as an enormous sea dragon.
Youkai / Other Legendary Creatures
Kiyohime (清姫)
A young woman who fell in love with a Buddhist monk named Anchin, and after being spurned transformed into a monster and tried to kill him.
- Breath Weapon: Kiyohime's serpent/dragon form was able to breathe fire, which she used to kill Anchin by melting the bell he was hiding under.
- One-Winged Angel: When Anchin tried to escape her by crossing a raging river, Kiyohime dove in and swam after him, her rage transforming her into a serpentine/draconic monster.
- Scaled Up: Kiyohime transformed into a serpentine/draconic yōkai, usually depicted as still having her human face.
- Woman Scorned: Kiyohime fell in love at first sight with Anchin, but he refused to return her affections and tricked her to get away. She was so enraged that she transformed into a serpent or dragon and killed him.
Shuten-dōji (酒呑童子)
A legendary oni warlord who terrorized Kyoto from his mountain lair before being slain by Minamoto no Raikō. His first known appearance is in Ōeyama Ekotoba, a 14th century otogizōshi. He is considered one of the Three Great Evil Yōkai of Japan alongside Tamamo no Mae and Emperor Sutoku.
- Affably Evil: Despite being a human-eating demonic warlord, Shuten-dōji was nothing but polite to Minamoto no Raikō, who in contrast used subterfuge to slay the oni.
- The Alcoholic: Like his father, Shuten-dōji loves sake, which Minamoto no Raikō exploited to get him drunk and make him easier to kill.
- Cool Mask: According to some versions, Shuten-dōji's transformation into an oni occurred when he donned a mask at a festival and terrorized people, only to later discover it had fused to and become his face.
- Oni: Shuten-dōji is one of the most famous named oni in Japanese folklore, though in some tellings he was originally human or a demigod before being corrupted into an oni through his sinful nature.
- Semi-Divine: Some tellings say that Shuten-dōji was the demigod son of the kami of Mt. Ibuki, whose aramitama was the Yamata-no-Orochi.
- The Warlord: Shuten-dōji led a horde of evil oni that terrorized Kyoto from their base on Mount Ōe or Mount Ibuki.
- Was Once a Man: Some versions have Shuten-dōji be born as a human and even become a Buddhist monk before his sinful nature corrupts him into an oni.
Tamamo no Mae (玉藻前)
An evil nine-tailed fox-spirit that terrorized China, India, and Japan before being exposed and slain by the archers Kazusa-no-suke and Miura-no-suke. She first appears in Muromachi period otogizōshi, and is seen as one of the Three Great Evil Youkai for her role in the downfall of Japan's Heian Period.
- Asian Fox Spirit: Tamamo is the most famous example of an evil fox-spirit in Japanese folklore, possessing anywhere from two to nine tails and powers akin to a god's. An entire army is routed by her, and it takes divine intervention for her to be put down for good.
- Back from the Dead: At least one Edo Period narrative featuring Tamamo had her vengeful ghost team up with the old hag from another famous otogizōshi and ultimately get resurrected.
- Composite Character: Tamamo is said to be the same fox-spirit that terrorized China as Daji from the Fengshen Yanyi—despite Daji having been slain in that epic—as well as Bao Si, and corrupted Prince Banzoku of India (derived from the Hindu legend of Kalmashapada) before ending up in Japan.
- Heel–Face Turn: Some later tellings have Tamamo's vengeful spirit recant her sins to a monk who converts her to Buddhism and exorcises her.
- The Kingslayer: Tamamo assassinated Emperor Toba, contributing to the end of the Heian Period and kickstarting a power-struggle that plunged Japan into years of war.
- Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: In versions where her corpse is petrified, Tamamo's vengeful ghost haunts the Sesshōseki and kills anyone who gets too close.
- Taken for Granite: While initial versions had her corpse be carted off to the Imperial capital, where it was found to contain sacred treasures, later tellings had her body be petrified into the Sesshōseki (Killing Stone), her vengeful spirit haunting it and killing anyone who got too close.
- The Vamp: Tamamo's MO consists of seducing powerful rulers and either corrupting them into ruthless tyrants to appease her sadism, or assassinating them.
Emperor Sutoku (崇徳天皇)
The deified 75th emperor of Japan, who was forced to abdicate and sent into exile. After his death he became a vengeful spirit and terrorized the capital. He is considered one of the Three Great Onryō of Japan alongside Sugawara no Michizane and Taira no Masakado, and one of the Three Great Yōkai of Japan alongside Shuten-dōji and Tamamo no Mae.
- Deity of Human Origin: After his vengeful spirit was pacified he was worshipped as a god.
- Dying Declaration of Hate: According to legend, after the scriptures he dedicated years of his life to copying were rejected by the Imperial court, Sutoku was so enraged he bit off his own tongue and vowed to take revenge from the afterlife as he bled to death.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Exiled and treated with every disrespect imaginable, Sutoku became an immensely powerful onryō and terrorized Kyoto for years, contributing to the downfall of the Heian Period and the Genpei War.
- Tengu: Some depictions of his onryō form depict it as a tengu with blue skin, wings, and a bulbous nose.
- Was Once a Man: He was originally a mere mortal, but after his death became an immensely powerful onryō out of hatred for those responsible for his exile.
Yamata no Orochi (八俣遠呂智 / 八岐大蛇)
A mountainous evil serpent or dragon with eight heads and eight tails that terrorized the earthbound kami before being slain by Susano'o. In some tales it is an aspect of the kami of Mt. Ibuki, who fathered the oni Shuten-doji. It first appears in the Kojiki.
- The Alcoholic: The Orochi loves alcohol, which Susano'o exploited by getting it black-out drunk on divine sake and then cutting its body to pieces when it passed out.
- Animalistic Abomination: When not depicted as a dragon, the Orochi is depicted as a giant snake with eight heads, eight tails, and an appetite for the flesh of gods.
- Draconic Abomination: When not depicted as a giant snake, the Orochi is depicted as a monstrous god-eating dragon with eight heads and eight tails.
- God-Eating: The Yamata no Orochi terrorized the earthbound kami by demanding a sacrifice of their daughters, who it devoured.
- Kaiju: The Yamata no Orochi is said to be mountainous in size, forcing Susano'o to get creative to vanquish it.
- Literal Split Personality: Some myths treat the Yamata no Orochi as the aramitama of the kami of Mt. Ibuki, who survived his dark half's death and went on to father the oni Shuten-doji.
- Multiple Head Case: The Orochi has eight heads, which made it a challenge for Susano'o to figure out how to slay it.
- Orochi: The Trope Namer.
- Physical God: The Orochi was a monstrous snake or dragon-god and, in some legends, an aspect of the kami of Mt. Ibuki.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Some tellings have it somehow survive being hacked to pieces by Susano'o and escape to Mt. Ibuki, where it became a somewhat-less-malevolent snake kami.
