Kuniumi

In Japanese mythology, Kuniumi (国くに産うみ, literally "birth or formation of the country") is the traditional and legendary history of the emergence of the Japanese archipelago, of islands, as narrated in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to this legend, after the creation of Heaven and Earth, the gods Izanagi and Izanami were given the task of forming a series of islands that would become what is now Japan. In Japanese mythology, these islands make up the known world. The creation of Japan is followed by the creation of the gods (kamiumi).

Creation story

Main article: Japanese creation myth

Izanagi (right) and Izanami (left) consolidating the earth with the spear Ama-no-Nuboko. Painting by Eitaku Kobayashi (Meiji period)

According to the Kojiki

After the formation, Heaven was above and Earth was still a drifting soft mush. The first five gods named Kotoamatsukami (別べつ天津てんしん神しん, "Separate Heavenly Deities") were lone deities without sex and did not reproduce. Then came the Kamiyonanayo (神かみ世よ七なな代だい, "The Seven Divine Generations"), consisting of two lone deities followed by five couples. 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-nuboko (天沼あまぬま矛ほこ, "heavenly jewelled spear"), given to them by the elders. Standing over the Ame-no-ukihashi (天てん浮橋うきはし, "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. In forming this island, both gods came down from heaven, and spontaneously built a central support column called the Ame-no-mihashira (天てん御ご柱はしら, "heavenly pillar") which upheld the "hall measuring eight fathoms" that the gods caused to appear afterwards.

Then they initiated conversation inquiring of each other's anatomy, leading to a mutual decision to mate and reproduce:

IZANAGI:	How has your body been made?
IZANAMI:	My body is fully formed, except for a part which has not quite grown.
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 produce lands and dominions. What say you to this?

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 (麻あさ具ぐ波なみ比ひ)). However, when they met on the other side of the pillar, Izanami was the first to speak, saying: "Oh, indeed you are a 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.".

However, they mated anyway and later fathered a child Hiruko (lit. "leech child), who was placed in a reed boat dragged by the current. Afterwards they gave birth to Awashima (淡島あわしま, lit. "island of foam"). Neither Hiruko nor Awashima were considered legitimate children of Izanagi and Izanami.

Izanagi and Izanami decided to ascend to heaven and consult the primordial gods at Takamagahara about the ill-formed children that resulted from their union. The gods determined through divination that the female speaking first during the ceremony was the cause. So the couple returned to Onogoroshima island and repeated the rite encircling the column, only making sure Izanagi was the first to speak out in greeting. When finished, they performed the union successfully and lands began to be born.

Birth of the islands

According to the legend, the formation of Japan began with the creation of eight large islands by Izanagi and Izanami. In order of birth these islands are the following:

1. Awaji-no-ho-no-sawake-no-shima (淡あわ道之みちゆき穂ほ之の狭せま別べつ島とう): currently, Awaji Island;
2. Iyo-no-futana-no-shima (伊い予よ之の二名にみょう島とう): currently, Shikoku. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:

   • Ehime (愛あい比ひ売うり): Iyo Province;
   • Ihiyorihiko (飯めし依よ比ひ古いにしえ): Sanuki Province;
   • Ohogetsuhime (大だい宣せん都と比ひ売うり): Awa Province;
   • Takeyoriwake (建けん依よ別べつ): Tosa Province.

3. Oki-no-mitsugo-no-shima (隠かくれ伎之三子島みつこじま): today, Oki Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshikorowake (天てん之の忍しのべ許もと呂りょ別べつ);
4. Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫つくし島とう): today, Kyūshū. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:

   • Shirahiwake (白日はくじつ別べつ): Tsukushi Province;
   • Toyohiwake (豊ゆたか日にち別べつ): Toyo Province;
   • Takehimukahitoyokujihinewake (建けん日向ひなた日び豊久とよひさ士し比ひ泥どろ別べつ): Hi Province;
   • Takehiwake (建たて日にち別べつ): Kumaso.

5. Iki-no-shima (伊い伎島): today, Iki Island. Dubbed Amehitotsubashira (天てん比ひ登のぼり都と柱ばしら);
6. Tsu-shima (津島つしま): today, Tsushima Island. Dubbed Ame-no-sadeyorihime (天てん之の狭せま手しゅ依よ比ひ売うれ);
7. Sado-no-shima (佐度島さどじま): today, Sado Island;
8. Ohoyamatotoyoakitsu-shima (大倭おおやまと豊ゆたか秋津島あきつしま): today, Honshu. Dubbed Amatsumisoratoyoakitsunewake (天てん御ご虚空こくう豊秋とよあき津根つね別べつ).

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.

Additionally, Izanagi and Izanami then gave birth to six islands:

1. Kibi-no-kojima (吉備きび児島こじま): Kojima Peninsula of Kibi (now in Okayama). Dubbed Takehikatawake (建けん日方ひかた別べつ);
2. Azuki-jima (小豆島しょうどしま): Shōdoshima. Dubbed Ohonodehime (大野おおの手て比ひ売うり);
3. Oho-shima (大島おおしま): Suō-Ōshima. Dubbed Ohotamaruwake (大だい多麻たま流りゅう別べつ);
4. Hime-jima (女島めしま): Himeshima. Dubbed Amehitotsune (天てん一いち根ね);
5. Chika-no-shima (知ち訶島): Gotō Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshio (天てん之の忍しのぶ男だん);
6. Futago-no-shima (両りょう児島こじま): Danjo Islands. Dubbed Amefutaya (天てん両りょう屋や).

According to the Nihon Shoki

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" (陽ひ神しん youshin, male deity) and "goddess of yin" (陰かげ神しん 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.

References

Bibliography

• Chamberlain, Basil Hall (2008). The Kojiki: Japanese Records of Ancient Matters. Forgotten Books. ISBN 978-1-60506-938-8. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
• "Génesis del mundo y aparición de los primeros dioses" [Genesis of the world and appearance of the first gods] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-11-10.