Izanagi

Searching the Seas with the Tenkei (天瓊を以て滄海を探るの図, Tenkei o motte sōkai o saguru no zu). Painting by Kobayashi Eitaku, 1880-90 (MFA, Boston). Izanagi with spear Amenonuhoko to the right, Izanami to the left.

Izanagi (イザナギ, recorded in the Kojiki as 伊邪那岐 and in the Nihon Shoki as 伊弉諾) is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto ("Lord Izanagi"). It is also pronounced Izanagi-no-Okami ("The God Izanagi").

Accounts in mythology

Izanagi and Izanami

See also: Izanami, Kuniumi, and Yomotsu-shikome

He with his spouse and younger sister Izanami gave birth to the many islands of Japan (kuniumi), and begat numerous deities of Shintoism (kamiumi). But she died after giving birth to the fire-god Kagu-tsuchi. Izanagi executed the fire god with the "ten-grasp sword" (Totsuka-no-Tsurugi). Afterwards, he paid his wife a visit in Yomi-no-kuni (the Underworld) in the hopes of retrieving her. But she had partaken of food cooked in the furnace of the Underworld, rendering her return impossible. Izanagi betrayed his promise not to look at her, and lit up a fire, only to behold in her monstrous and hellish state. To avenge her shame, she dispatched the horrible hag Yakusa no ikazuchi no kami(Raijin) and Yomotsu-shikome to chase after him. Izanagi escaped, but the goddess promised to kill a thousand of his people every day. Izanagi retorted that a thousand and five hundred will be born every day.

Cleansing and birth of Amaterasu

Further information: Kamiumi § Purification of Izanagi

In the cleansing rite after his return, he begot Amaterasu (the sun goddess) from his left eye, Tsukuyomi (the moon god) from his right eye and Susanoo (tempest or storm god) from his nose.

Parallels

Izanagi's visit to his wife Izanami in Yomi-no-kuni somewhat parallels the Greek Orpheus's visit to Eurydice in the underworld. but a more striking resemblance is his wife's inability to return after eating the food in hell, matched by Persephone of Greek myth.

In popular culture

• Izanagi Boom, a period of high economic growth in Japan in the second half of the 1960s.
• The name of this deity appears incorrectly spelled as "Izagi" in Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.
• Izanagi is the name of the protagonist's first Persona in the video game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. and Izanagi-no-Okami is his awakened Persona.
• Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo are various eye techniques of the Uchiha clan in the Japanese manga Naruto.
• Izanagi is also the name of a character in the anime Mai-HiME.
• Izanagi is a Monster Card in the popular Trading Card Game, Yugioh.
• In the anime Darker than BLACK season 2, Izanagi is referenced multiple times and "will meet with Izanami to reshape the world."

See also

• Izanagi Plate