Every culture at some point meditates on its own birth. These narratives — creation myths — are a fascinating insight into the values and assumptions that underlie a culture, and Japan’s creation myth — the “Kojiki” — is no different.
From chaos comes order; from nothing, everything. The deities are born first, including the male Izanagi and female Izanami. They dip a spear into the formless brine of the universe and the drips become an island. On this island they come together in another act of creation and the resultant offspring are the islands of Japan.
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