The creation of japan

After the formation, the Heaven was above and Earth was still a drifting soft mush. The first five gods named Koto·ama·tsu·kami (別天津神, "Separate Heavenly Deities") were lone deities without gender[1] and did not procreate. Then came the Kami·yo·nana·yo (神世七代, "The Seven Divine Generations"), consisting of two lone deities followed by five couples. It was the last couple, Izanagi and Izanami that gave earth its solid form and first procreated other gods.

The elder gods delegated the youngest couple Izanagi and Izanami to carry out their venerable mandate: to reach down from heaven and give solid form to the earth. This they did with the use of a precious stone-covered spear named Ame-no-nubo·ko (天沼矛, "heavenly jewelled spear"), given to them by the elders. Standing over the Ame-no-uki·hashi (天浮橋, "floating bridge of heaven"), they churned the chaotic mass with the spear. When drops of salty water fell from the tip, they formed into the first island, Onogoroshima (淤能碁呂島, O·nö·gö·rö-shima). In forming this island, both gods came down from heaven, and spontaneously built a central support column [2] called the Ame-no-mi·hashira (天御柱, "heavenly pillar") which upheld the "hall measuring eight fathoms"

that the gods caused to appear afterwards.[1][3][4][5]

Then they initiated conversation inquiring of each other's bodily anatomy, leading to a mutual decision to mate and procreate:[4]

    IZANAGI:
   

    How has your body been made?[nb 1]

    IZANAMI:
   

    My body is fully formed, except for a part which has not quite grown.[nb 2]

    IZANAGI:
   

    My body is fully formed, except I have a part that has grown too much. If I place the part of my body that has grown too much, and plug the part of your body not yet grown, we will procreate lands and dominions. What say you to this?[nb 3]
   

Izanami accepted the offer and Izanagi proposed that both should circle around the column Ame-no-mihashira in opposite directions, Izanami going right and Izanagi left and on meeting each other would perform sexual intercourse (maguwai (麻具波比)). However, when they met on the other side of the pillar, Izanami was the first to speak, saying: "Oh, indeed you are beautiful and kind youth!", to which Izanagi replied: "Oh, what a most beautiful and kind youth!". Izanagi then rebukes Izanami saying: "It is wrong for the wife to speak first.".[4]

However they mated anyway and later fathered a child Hiruko ((蛭子) or Koto·shiro-nushi-no-kami (事代主神); lit. "leech child"), who was placed in a reed boat dragged by the current.[nb 4] Afterwards they gave birth to Awashima (淡島, lit. "island of foam"). Neither Hiruko and Awashima were considered legitimate children of Izanagi and Izanami.[4]

Izanagi and Izanami decided to ascend to heaven and consult the primordial gods at Takamagahara (Taka·ma-ga-hara (高天原 or 高天ヶ原, the Plain of High Heaven)) about the ill-formed children that resulted from their union. The gods through divination determined that the woman speaking first during the ceremony was the cause. So the couple returned to Onogoroshima island and repeated the ritual encircling column, only making sure the male-god was the first to speak out greeting. When finished they performed the union successfully and lands began to be born.[6]
Birth of the islandsEdit

According to the legend, the formation of Japan started with the procreation of eight large islands by Izanagi and Izanami, which is also worshipped as deities in association with nature in the Shinto religion - since they are "living spirits", like Mount Fuji (domain of Kuninotokotachi - first of the three primordial divinities in Shinto, residing atop Mount Fuji). In order of birth these islands are the following:[6]
Japan yashima.png

    Awa·ji-no-ho-no-sa·wake-no-shima (淡道之穂之狭別島): currently, Awaji Island;
    I·yo-no-futa·na-no-shima (伊予之二名島): currently, Shikoku. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:

            E·hi·me (愛比売): Iyo Province;
            Ihi·yori·hi·ko (飯依比古): Sanuki Province;
            Oho·ge·tsu·hi·me (大宣都比売): Awa Province;
            Take·yori·wake (建依別): Tosa Province.

    O·ki-no-mitsu·go-no-shima (隠伎之三子島): today, Oki Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshikorowake (天之忍許呂別);
    Tsuku·shi-no-shima (筑紫島): today, Kyūshū. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:

            Shira·hi·wake (白日別): Tsukushi Province;
            Toyo·hi·wake (豊日別): Toyo Province;
            Take·hi·muka·hi·to·yo·ji·hi·ne·wake (建日向日豊久士比泥別): Hi Province;
            Take·hi·wake (建日別): Kumaso.

    I·ki-no-shima (伊伎島): today, Iki Island. Dubbed Ame·hi·to·tsu·bashira (天比登都柱);
    Tsu-shima (津島): today, Tsushima Island. Dubbed Ame-no-sa·de·yori·hi·me (天之狭手依比売);
    Sa·do-no-shima (佐度島): today, Sado Island;
    Oho·yamato·toyo·aki·tsu-shima (大倭豊秋津島): today, Honshu. Dubbed Ama·tsu·mi·sora·toyo·aki·tsu·ne·wake (天御虚空豊秋津根別).

Traditionally these islands are known as Ōyashima (lit. eight large islands) and as a whole are what is currently known as Japan. In the myth neither Hokkaidō nor the Ryukyu Islands are mentioned as these were not known to the Japanese at the time of compiling the Kojiki.[6]

Additionally, Izanagi and Izanami then gave birth to six islands:[6][7]

    Ki·bi-no-ko·jima (吉備児島): Kojima Peninsula (ja) of Kibi (now in Okayama). Dubbed Take·hi·kata·wake (建日方別);
    A·zuki-jima (小豆島): Shōdoshima. Dubbed Oho·no·de·hi·me (大野手比売);
    Oho-shima (大島): Suō-ōshima. Dubbed Oho·ta·ma·ru·wake (大多麻流別);
    Hime-jima (女島): Himeshima. Dubbed Ame·hitotsu·ne (天一根);
    Chi·ka-no-shima (知訶島): Gotō Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshi·o (天之忍男);
    Futa·go-no-shima (両児島): Danjo Archipelago. Dubbed Ame·futa·ya (天両屋).

According to the Nihon ShokiEdit

The story of this book only differs in that Izanagi and Izanami volunteered to consolidate the Earth. In addition the two deities are described as "god of yang" (陽神 youshin, male deity) and "goddess of yin" (陰神 inshin, female deity) influenced by the ideas of Yin and yang. The rest of the story is identical, except that the other celestial gods (Kotoamatsukami) do not appear, nor are the last six smaller islands mentioned that were born through Izanagi and Izanami.