description Tsukuyomi Overview
Tsukuyomi, also known as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, is the Shinto deity of the moon and the sibling of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the storm god Susanoo. According to Japanese mythology, he was born when the creator god Izanagi purified himself after escaping the underworld. He is traditionally associated with the passage of time and the lunar calendar, and his mythological legacy includes a legendary rift with Amaterasu.
help Tsukuyomi FAQ
How was Tsukuyomi born in Japanese mythology?
In the Kojiki tradition, Tsukuyomi emerged when Izanagi washed his right eye during purification after escaping the underworld. The same episode associates Amaterasu with his left eye and Susanoo with Izanagi's nose.
What does Tsukuyomi rule?
Tsukuyomi is usually treated as a male kami of the moon or night. The name is linked to reading the moon's phases and the lunar calendar, and classical accounts give him authority over the night or, in one Nihon Shoki account, the sea.
Why are Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu separated?
In an alternate Nihon Shoki story, Tsukuyomi kills the food kami Ukemochi after being disgusted by how she produces food. Amaterasu condemns him, and the separation of the siblings explains why sun and moon no longer share the sky.
Where does Tsukuyomi appear in Japanese mythology?
His main appearances come from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan's early myth-historical chronicles. Unlike Amaterasu and Susanoo, Tsukuyomi has a comparatively small surviving narrative role in the Kojiki.
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