6. Nihon Shoki I — 6

1In one writing it is said: "Izanagi no Mikoto, wishing to see his younger sister, went to the temporary burial-place. At this time, Izanami no Mikoto being still as she was when alive came forth to meet him, and they talked together. She spoke to Izanagi no Mikoto and said, 'My august Lord and husband, I beseech thee not to look at me.' When she had done speaking, she suddenly became invisible. It was then dark, so Izanagi no Mikoto lit a single light, and looked at her. Izanami no Mikoto was then swollen and festering, and eight kinds of Thunder-Gods rested on her. Izanagi no Mikoto was shocked, and ran away. Then the thunders all arose and pursued him. Now by the roadside there grew a large peach tree, at the foot of which Izanagi no Mikoto concealed himself. He accordingly took its fruit and flung it to the thunders, upon which the thunders all ran away. This was the origin of the practice of keeping off evil spirits by means of peaches. Then Izanagi flung down his staff, saying: 'The thunders may not come beyond this.' It (the staff) was called Funado no Kami, and was originally called Kunado no Ohoji.

2Of the so-called Eight Thunders, that which was on her head was called the Great Thunder; that which was on her breast was called the Fire-Thunder; that which was on her belly was called the Earth-Thunder; that which was on her back was called the Young-Thunder; that which was on her posteriors was called the Black-Thunder; that which was on her hand was called the Mountain-Thunder; that which was on her foot was called the Moor-Thunder; and that which was on her genitals was called the Cleaving-Thunder."

3In one writing it is said: "Izanagi no Mikoto followed after Izanami no Mikoto, and, arriving at the place where she was, spoke to her and said: 'I have come because I sorrowed for thee.' She answered and said, 'We are relations. Do not thou look upon me.' Izanagi no Mikoto would not obey, but continued to look on her. Wherefore Izanami no Mikoto was ashamed and angry, and said, 'Thou hast seen my nakedness. Now I will in turn see thine.' Then Izanagi no Mikoto was ashamed, and prepared to depart. He did not, however, merely go away in silence, but said solemnly, 'Our relationship is severed.' Again he said, 'I will not submit to be beaten by a relation.' And the God of the Spittle which he thereupon spat out was called Haya-tama no wo. Next the God of his purification was called Yomo-tsu-koto-saka no wo; two gods in all. And when he came to contend with his younger sister at the Even Pass of Yomi, Izanagi no Mikoto said, 'It was weak of me at first to sorrow and mourn on account of a relation.'

4Then said the Road-wardens of Yomi, 'We have a message for thee, as follows: 'I and thou have produced countries. Why should we seek to produce more? I shall stay in this land, and will not depart along with thee.' At this time Kukuri-hime no Kami said something which Izanagi no Mikoto heard and approved, and she then vanished away.

5(I. 26.) But, having visited in person the Land of Yomi, he had brought on himself ill-luck. In order, therefore, to wash away the defilement, he visited the Aha gate and the Haya-sufu-na gate. But the tide in these two gates was exceeding strong. So he returned and took his way towards Wodo in Tachibana. There he did his ablutions. At this time, entering the water, he blew out and produced Iha-tsu-tsu no Mikoto; coming out of the water, he blew forth and produced Oho-nawo-bi no Kami. Entering a second time, he blew out and produced Soko-tsutsu no Mikoto; coming out he blew forth and produced Oho-aya-tsu-bi no Kami. Entering again, he blew forth and produced Aka-tsutsu no Mikoto, and coming out he blew out and produced the various deities of Heaven and Earth, and of the Sea-plain."

6In one writing it is said:—"Izanagi no Mikoto charged his three children, saying, 'Do thou, Ama-terasu no Oho-kami, rule over the plain of High Heaven; do thou, Tsuki-yomi no Mikoto, be associated with her in the charge of Heavenly matters; do thou, Sosa no wo no Mikoto, govern the plain of Ocean.'

7Now when Ama-terasu no Oho-kami was already in Heaven, she said:—'I hear that in the Central country of reed-plains there is the Deity Uke-mochi no Kami. Do thou, Tsuki-yomi no Mikoto, go and wait upon her.' Tsuki-yomi no Mikoto, on receiving this command, descended and went to the place where Uke-mochi no Kami was. Thereupon Uke-mochi no Kami turned her head towards the land, and forthwith from her mouth there came boiled rice: she faced the sea, and again there came from her mouth things broad of fin and things narrow of fin. She faced the mountains and again there came from her (I. 27.) mouth things rough of hair and things soft of hair. These things were all prepared and set out on one hundred tables for his entertainment. Then Tsuki-yomi no Mikoto became flushed with anger, and said:—'Filthy! Nasty! That thou shouldst dare to feed me with things disgorged from thy mouth.' So he drew his sword and slew her, and then returned and made his report, relating all the circumstances. Upon this Ama-terasu no Oho-kami was exceedingly angry, and said:—'Thou art a wicked Deity. I must not see thee face to face.' So they were separated by one day and one night, and dwelt apart.

8After this Ama-terasu no Oho-kami sent a second time Ame-kuma-bito to go and see her. At this time Uke-mochi no Kami was truly dead already. But on the crown of her head there had been produced the ox and the horse; on the top of her forehead there had been produced millet; over her eyebrows there had been produced the silkworm; within her eyes there had been produced panic; in her belly there had been produced rice; in her genitals there had been produced wheat, large beans and small beans.