Izanami Facts for Kids

Izanami is a powerful goddess in Japanese mythology. She is known for both creating the world and being linked to death. She and her husband, Izanagi, were very important in making the islands of Japan and many other gods.

The Story of Izanami and Izanagi
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The Story of Izanami and Izanagi

Izanami and Izanagi were the first gods to appear after the world was formed. They stood on a floating bridge in the sky. Using a special spear, they stirred the ocean. When they lifted the spear, drops of water fell and formed the first island.

Creating the World

After creating the first island, Izanami and Izanagi came down to live there. They decided to get married and have children. Their children became the many islands of Japan and many other gods of nature, like the gods of mountains, rivers, and trees.

Izanami's Journey to the Underworld

Tragically, Izanami was badly burned while giving birth to the fire god. She became very ill and eventually died. Her death brought great sadness to Izanagi. He was so heartbroken that he even killed the fire god who caused her death.

Izanami's spirit went to Yomi, which is the land of the dead, similar to an underworld. Izanagi missed her terribly and decided to go to Yomi to bring her back to the living world.

When Izanagi found Izanami in Yomi, she told him she had already eaten food from the underworld. This meant she could not easily return to the land of the living. She asked him to wait and not look at her while she rested.

The Goddess of Death

Izanagi was impatient and worried. He couldn't wait any longer. He secretly entered her resting place. He took a comb from his hair and lit it like a torch to see her. To his shock, Izanami's body had changed and was no longer beautiful. It was a decaying form.

Izanami was furious that Izanagi had broken his promise and seen her in that state. She sent spirits and creatures to chase him out of Yomi. Izanagi fled, and when he reached the entrance to the underworld, he rolled a giant rock to seal it shut. This separated the land of the living from the land of the dead forever.

After this, Izanami became known as the goddess of death. It is said that she vowed to take 1,000 lives each day. In response, Izanagi vowed to create 1,500 new lives every day. This story explains the balance between life and death in the world.