The God of the Moon
Tsukuyomi is the Shinto deity of the moon, second of the three "noble children" born from Izanagi — emerging from his right eye as he purified himself after fleeing the underworld. Izanagi set him to rule the realms of night.
His name combines tsuku (an old form of tsuki, "moon") with yomi, often read as "to read" or "counting" — hence "moon-counter," a fitting title for a kami who marks the passage of nights and months.
Tsukuyomi appears rarely in the myths, but one episode is decisive. Sent by his sister Amaterasu to meet the food goddess Uke Mochi, he was so disgusted to see her produce food from her mouth and body that he killed her. Enraged by this violence, Amaterasu refused ever to look upon him again.
This rupture is the mythic explanation for why the sun and moon occupy the sky at separate times — day and night forever divided between the estranged siblings.
Sprang from Izanagi's right eye, mirroring Amaterasu's left.
Rules the night and the cycles of the moon.
Common Questions
Why are the sun and moon separated?
After Tsukuyomi killed the food goddess, Amaterasu turned away from him forever, so the two never share the sky.
