Japanese mythology centers on the kami, countless sacred spirits dwelling in mountains, rivers, storms, and the heavens. The earliest narratives, recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, open with the primordial couple Izanagi and Izanami, who churn the ocean to form the islands of Japan.
From Izanagi's purification rite spring three great children: the sun goddess Amaterasu, the moon kami Tsukuyomi, and the tempestuous storm god Susanoo. Their rivalries drive cycles of light and darkness, exile and return.
Beyond the creator line, fierce weather kami like the thunder god Raijin embody the raw forces revered and feared across the islands. Together these figures form a living pantheon still honored at shrines throughout Japan today.
