Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto

"Tsukuyomi" redirects here. For other uses, see Tsukuyomi (disambiguation).

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (ツクヨミノミコト, 月読命),^[1] or simply Tsukuyomi (ツクヨミ, 月読) or Tsukiyomi (ツキヨミ),^[2] is the moon kami in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name "Tsukuyomi" is a compound of the Old Japanese words tsuku (月; "moon, month", becoming modern Japanese tsuki) and yomi (読み; "reading, counting").^[3] The Nihon Shoki mentions this name spelled as Tsukuyumi (月弓; "moon bow"), but this yumi is likely a variation in pronunciation of yomi.^[3] An alternative interpretation is that his name is a combination of tsukiyo (月夜; "moonlit night") and mi (見; "looking, watching"). -no-Mikoto is a common honorific appended to the names of Kami; it may be understood as similar to the English honorific 'the Great'.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
God of the moon
Woodblock print of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
Other names	Tsukuyomi (ツクヨミ, 月読), Tsukiyomi (ツキヨミ), 月読尊、月弓尊、月夜見尊、月讀尊
Region	Japan
Genealogy
Parents	Izanagi (Kojiki) Izanagi and Izanami (Nihon Shoki)
Siblings	Amaterasu Susanoo (and others)
Consort	Amaterasu (some myths)

In Man'yōshū, Tsukuyomi's name is sometimes rendered as Tsukuyomi Otoko (月讀壮士; "moon-reading man"), implying that he is male.^[4]

Myth

Tsukuyomi was the second of the "three noble children" (三貴子, Mihashira-no-Uzu-no-Miko) born when Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the kami who created the first land of Onogoroshima, was cleansing himself of his kegare while bathing after escaping the underworld and the clutches of his enraged dead sister, Izanami-no-Mikoto. Tsukuyomi was born when he washed out of Izanagi's right eye.^[5] However, in an alternative story, Tsukuyomi was born from a mirror made of white copper in Izanagi's right hand.

Tsukuyomi angered Amaterasu (who in some sources was his wife) when he killed Ukemochi, the megami of food. Amaterasu once sent Tsukuyomi to represent her at a feast presented by Ukemochi. The megami created the food by turning to the ocean and spitting out a fish, then facing a forest and spitting out game, and finally turning to a rice paddy and coughing up a bowl of rice. Tsukuyomi was utterly disgusted by the manner of which the exquisite-looking meal was made in, so he killed her.^[5]

Amaterasu learned what happened and she was so angry that she refused to ever look at Tsukuyomi again, forever moving to another part of the sky. This is the reason that day and night are never together. This is according to one of the accounts in the Nihon Shoki. Tsukuyomi does not have such significance in the Kojiki, in which there is a similar tale about Susanoo-no-Mikoto killing a similar food megami named Ōgetsuhime, who is often conflated with Ukemochi.

Description in mythology

In the Kiki (the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki), Tsukuyomi is said to have been born from Izanagi-no-Mikoto (Izanagi-no-Mikoto / 伊弉諾尊). He is considered a god who governs the moon and night, though there are alternate theories (as discussed later). He is regarded as the younger brother of Amaterasu-ōmikami (Amaterasu-ōmikami / 天照大神), and the elder brother of Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto (Susanoo-no-Mikoto / 建速須佐之男命)^[a]

Tsukuyomi is considered one of the gods of the moon.^[6] However, the nature of his divinity varies by text. In the Kojiki, he is said to have been born from Izanagi-no-Mikoto’s right eye during his purification (misogi) after escaping from the underworld, alongside Amaterasu-ōmikami, who was born from the left eye, and Susanoo-no-Mikoto, born from the nose. These three form the important trio known as the Mihashira no Uzu no Miko.

In contrast, the Nihon Shoki offers alternative accounts one stating that he was born from Izanagi and Izanami-no-Mikoto, another that he emerged from a white bronze mirror held in Izanagi’s right hand. The domains these deities govern, such as the heavens or seas, also vary between stories.

This pattern of a sun god, moon god, and a younger or elder sibling is seen in comparative mythology across various cultures as well.^[7]

In Japanese mythology, Tsukuyomi rarely appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and is generally not very active. He is mentioned only briefly in the eleventh variant of the fifth volume of the Nihon Shoki, in connection with the origin of grains. One theory suggests that placing a calm, quiet deity like Tsukuyomi between the contrasting personalities of Amaterasu and Susanoo provides narrative balance.^[8] A similar structure is found in cases like Takami-Musubi-no-Kami and Kami-Musubi-no-Kami being paired with Ame-no-Minakanushi, or Hoori-no-Mikoto and Hoderi-no-Mikoto with Hosuseri-no-Mikoto.

Tsukuyomi’s jurisdiction differs across texts. In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Amaterasu, as the sun deity, clearly governs "heaven" or Takamagahara. In the Kojiki, Tsukuyomi is said to rule over "Yoru no Oshikuni" (the Realm of Night Food), while in the Nihon Shoki, he is assigned to "govern heaven alongside the sun." There are also accounts of him being tasked with ruling over the "eightfold tides of the sea plain." This inconsistency in his domain may be due to the later addition of Susanoo to myths originally centered on Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.^[9]

Because some of Tsukuyomi’s stories overlap with Susanoo’s, a few scholars argue that they may be the same deity.^[10]

Record in the Nihon Shoki

According to Volume 1 of the Nihon Shoki, in the story of the birth of the gods by Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, after the birth of the gods of the mountains, rivers (ja), and seas, Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the spirit of trees, Kukunochi, and the spirit of grass, Kaya-no-hime (also called Nozuchi). Then, the two deities discussed, saying: “We have already given birth to the great eight-island country and to the mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees. Why not give birth to the ruler of the world?” Later, they gave birth to the sun goddess Ōhirume-no-Muchi (also known as Amaterasu-ōmikami or Amaterasu-ōhirume-no-Mikoto). This child’s body radiated divine light, illuminating the entire universe. The two deities were pleased and said: “Although we have had many children, none have been as wondrous as this. She should not remain in this country. Let us quickly send her to the heavens and entrust her with the affairs of the celestial realm.” At that time, heaven and earth were not far apart, so she was raised to the heavens via the heavenly pillar. Next, they gave birth to the moon god (also called Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, Tsukuyomi-no-Kami, or Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto again). Since his radiance was second only to the sun goddess, he was deemed suitable to rule alongside her. After that, they gave birth to Hiruko, who, though three years old, was unable to stand. He was placed in a Heavenly Reed Boat and abandoned to the winds. Finally, they gave birth to Susanoo-no-Mikoto (also known as Kamususanowo-no-Mikoto or Hayasusanowo-no-Mikoto). Although this deity was brave and enduring, he constantly wept, causing calamities such as the death of people and the withering of green mountains. Thus, Izanagi and Izanami said to Susanoo: “You are unruly. You cannot rule the world. You must depart for the Land of Roots!” And so, he was exiled. In the first version of the myth, it is recorded that Izanagi said: “I wish to give birth to noble children to govern the realm.” Holding a white bronze mirror in his left hand, he created the deity Ōhirume-no-Muchi. Holding another mirror in his right hand, he created the moon god Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. Then, turning his head and glancing behind, he created Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Since both Ōhirume-no-Muchi and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto had bright and pure natures, they were tasked with illuminating heaven and earth. Susanoo, who delighted in destruction, was assigned to rule the Land of Roots. In the sixth version, it is said that Izanagi, after escaping from Yomi (the underworld), performed a purification ritual (misogi) at Awagihara in Odo, Hyūga Province (modern-day Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture). Washing his left eye, he gave birth to Amaterasu-ōmikami; washing his right eye, he gave birth to Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto; and washing his nose, he gave birth to Susanoo-no-Mikoto. He then gave commands to the three children: “Amaterasu shall rule over Takamagahara (the High Plain of Heaven). Tsukuyomi shall rule over the many tides of the blue sea. Susanoo shall rule over the world.” However, Susanoo, already grown with a beard eight fists long, neglected his duties and wept daily. When Izanagi asked, “Why do you weep constantly?” he replied, “I wish to follow my mother to the Land of Roots, and I weep only for this.” Enraged, Izanagi said, “Then do as you wish!” and banished him. In the eleventh version, it is recorded that Izanagi commanded his three children as follows: “Amaterasu shall govern Takamagahara. Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto shall assist the sun and manage heavenly affairs. Susanoo shall govern the sea realm.” While in heaven, Amaterasu-ōmikami heard of the food goddess Ukemochi in Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni and sent Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto to visit her. Facing Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, Ukemochi spat out rice; facing the sea, she spat out fish; facing the mountains, she spat out wild game. She prepared a banquet with all kinds of food to entertain Tsukuyomi. However, he was angered and said: “Disgusting! How vile! How dare you offer food from your mouth to me?” So he drew his sword and killed Ukemochi, then returned to report everything to Amaterasu. Upon hearing this, Amaterasu became enraged and declared: “You are a wicked god! I shall never see you again!” Thus, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, day and night, were separated bringing about the cycle of day and night.^[11][12]

Age of the Gods

In the fifth section of the Nihon Shoki, Age of the Gods, the main text simply states briefly: “He gave birth to the moon god, who shone with a brilliance second only to the light of the sun, and sent him to heaven to rule alongside the sun.” However, in the variant account found in the first Ishō that follows, it is said that Izanagi-no-Mikoto held a white bronze mirror in his left hand and produced Ōhirume-no-Muchi (Amaterasu-Ōmikami), and held a white bronze mirror in his right hand and produced Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. The moon, set alongside the sun, is thought to represent the new moon before the separation of sun and moon.

Regarding Tsukuyomi’s domain of rule, there are accounts that he was instructed to govern the heavens alongside Amaterasu. On the other hand, there is also a tale in which he was commanded, “Rule over the eightfold tides of the vast sea plain”.^[13][6] This is thought to represent the relationship between the tides and the moon.

In the eleventh Ishō of the fifth section of the Shoki, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto descends after being ordered by Amaterasu to meet with Ukemochi-no-Kami. There, Ukemochi produced food from her mouth as hospitality. Tsukuyomi, angered at this as “filthy,” slew Ukemochi with his sword. From Ukemochi’s dead body were born cattle, horses, silkworms, rice, and other crops, which became the origin of grains. When Amaterasu learned of Tsukuyomi’s violent act, she became angry, declaring, “You are an evil god.” From then on, it is said, the sun and the moon came to live apart, separated by one day and one night. This is the myth of the “separation of sun and moon,” and is thought to explain that the moon becomes a new moon when its ecliptic longitude is 0 degrees from the sun (i.e., apparently aligned with it), and becomes a full moon when it is 180 degrees apart, that is, when it appears most distant from the sun.

Meanwhile, in the Kojiki, in a similar tale, the food goddess (Ōgetsuhime-no-Kami) is killed—but the one who does it is Susanoo-no-Mikoto (see also Food origin myths in Japanese mythology). Some scholars suggest that this difference arose because a myth originally told of one deity was later attributed to the other’s episode.^[9]

Chronicle of Emperor Kenzo

Tsukuyomi reappears during the era when human emperors began ruling in place of the gods (after the transition from the Age of the Gods to the Age of Man). In Book 15 of the Chronicles (Shoki), in the annals of Emperor Kenzo, there is a record that when Ahe no Omi Kotoshiro was dispatched to Mimana, he became possessed by the moon god, who proclaimed, “I, descendant of Takami-Musubi, declare: worship me, the moon god, and joy shall come.” In accordance with this divine message, a shrine was built in the Kadonokōri (Katsuno District) of Yamashiro Province, and the ancestor of the Iki no Agatanushi clan, Oshimi no Sukune, was appointed to conduct the rites. This event is said to be the origin of the Tsukuyomi Shrine in Yamashiro Province. There is also a Tsukuyomi Shrine on Iki Island, where the oracle is believed to have occurred. It is said to be the original shrine of the Tsukuyomi Shrine in Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto). However, it is now believed that this connection was a mistake made by Tachibana Mitsuyoshi, and that the actual originally oracular shikinaisha Tsukuyomi Shrine was located at Otoko-dake. Today, it has been relocated and enshrined at Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine.^[14][15]

Fudoki

Yamashiro Province Fudoki

Although extant only as a fragment, in “Katsura no Sato” it is told that when “Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto,” receiving the imperial command of Amaterasu-Ōmikami, descended to the Middle Land of Reed Plains and went to Ukemochi-no-Kami, he stopped and stood by a sacred katsura tree. From this comes the origin of the place name “Katsura no Sato.” Traditions linking the moon and the katsura tree are thought to have been transmitted from India through ancient China to Japan,^[16] and in the Man’yōshū there is also a poem linking moon people with the katsura tree. In Japanese mythology, too, several deities are associated with the katsura—for example, in the Kojiki appear the pheasant Nakime, sent from the heavenly deities to Ame-no-Wakahiko, and Yamasachihiko, who lost his brother’s hook and reached the palace of the sea god.

Izumo Province Fudoki

To the northeast, seventeen ri and one hundred eighty bu from the station-house (umaya) of Chikumi District stands the deity. The child of Izanagi-no-Mikoto, “Tsukutsumi-no-Mikoto,” resides here. Therefore, it should be called Tsukutsumi, but the people of today still call it Chikumi.

However, Tsukutsumi-no-Mikoto was originally a local lunar deity protecting the harbor of Watazu and guarding Chikumi since ancient times. Because the central court’s authority grew stronger, the local people identified him as a child of Izanagi, though some theories hold he has no relation to Tsukuyomi.^[17]

Man’yōshū

In the poems of the Man’yōshū, expressions such as “Tsukuyomi” or “Tsukuyomi-otoko (Moon-Reading Man)” appear. These can be read both as simple metaphors (personifications) of the moon, and as references to the deity. He also appears as the custodian of “Wochimizu” (Water of Rejuvenation), i.e., the water of youth, associated with faith in the “moon and immortality,” which has been noted to resemble Okinawan beliefs about “Sudemizu” by scholars such as Nikolai Nevsky, Shinobu Orikuchi, and Eiichirō Ishida.

In addition, other examples of the moon personified in Man’yōshū poems include terms such as “Moon Person” and “Sasarae Man.”

Other Texts

Kōtai Jingū Gishikichō

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. His form is that of a man riding a horse. He wears purple robes and girds himself with a golden sword.

Thus he is described as the figure of a mounted warrior bearing a sword.

Enki of Hanakiyama-jōkōji and Enki of Jijūji

When Amaterasu-Ōmikami made a progress to Yagami, she sought a suitable site for a temporary palace. Then a white hare appeared. The hare held Amaterasu’s robes in its mouth and guided her to a plain near the summit of Sacred Stone Mountain, today called Isegahira, where it disappeared. The white hare was the sacred body of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. Afterwards, it was worshiped as Dōso Byakuto Daimyōjin and revered as the tutelary deity of the four villages along the ridges of Nakayama.

The Writing of “Tsukuyomi”

Generally the name is pronounced “Tsukuyomi,” but shrines that enshrine the moon deity often write it as “Tsukiyomi.” In the Kojiki, it is only “Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto,” while in the main text of the Nihon Shoki fifth section, the “Moon God” is written with multiple variants: 【one variant says Tsukiyumi-no-Mikoto, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto】. In the Man’yōshū, the moon is also referred to as “Tsukuyomi-otoko,” “Tsukihito-otoko,” and “Tsukuyomi.” In the fragmentary Yamashiro Fudoki, it appears as “Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.”

When the Old Japanese kana usage is compared, the spellings are as follows:

Kojiki

Tsukuyomi: Yo乙・Mi甲

Nihon Shoki

Tsukuyomi: Yo乙・Mi甲

Tsukiyumi: Yu―・Mi甲

Tsukuyomi: Yo甲・Mi甲

Man’yōshū

Tsukuyomi: Yo乙・Mi甲

Tsukuyomi: Yo甲・Mi甲

Tsukoyomi: Yo乙・Mi甲

Thus, across Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, and Man’yōshū, the “Mi” of Tsukuyomi consistently belongs to the kō class, but the “Yo” varies between otsu and kō, and even a “Yu” example exists.

Summarizing by the Yo/Yu sound:

Yo-otsu: Tsukuyomi, Tsukoyomi

Yo-kō: Tsukuyomi

Yu: Tsukiyumi

The Meaning of the Name Tsukuyomi

Several etymological theories exist for the divine name Tsukuyomi.

The most widely accepted holds that it derives from “reading/counting the moon,” linking the god to the calendar.^[6] In Old Japanese kana usage, the phonetic spellings for “yomi” (to read, to count) such as “yomi/ yomi” match Tsukuyomi (Yo-otsu, Mi-kō), suggesting the original sense was “reading (counting) the sun and moon.” For example, “koyomi” (calendar) literally means “counting the days (hi-yomi)”.^[18] By analogy, Tsukuyomi would mean “counting the moon.”

“Yomu (to read)” also appears in the Man’yōshū in the sense of “to count time (sun and moon),” such as in “reading the days and months.” Throughout history, the phases and movement of the moon served as the basis for calendars; worldwide, the lunar calendar arose earlier than the solar calendar. Even in the expressions “first month, second month,” remnants of this remain. Thus the moon and the calendar are deeply connected, and Tsukuyomi is interpreted as a divine figure presiding over calendrical reckoning.^[6]

Since calendars mainly existed for agriculture, and because in some cases “Tsuki” is written with the character for “tribute” (調) as in Tsuki Shrine (Tsukijinja), and since systems such as later so-yō-chō (rice tax, labor tax, tribute tax) required annual adjustments of food supply and crop management, Tsukuyomi may also have been considered a deity of agriculture and taxation.

Furthermore, as the rabbit is also linked to the moon, Tsuki Shrine features rabbits instead of komainu (lion-dogs), and includes Toyoukehime-no-Mikoto, a food-related deity, among its enshrined gods.

Other theories hold that, like the sea god Watatsumi or the mountain god Ōyamatsumi, Tsukuyomi derives from “Tsukuyo-no-Mi” (“Tsukuyo” = moon, “mi” = divine spirit), meaning simply “Moon God”.^[19]

In Tenrikyo

In Tenrikyo, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto is one of the Ten Aspects of God's Providence (十全の守護, jūzen no shugo).^[20]

Lunar shrines dedicated to Tsukuyomi

Tsukiyomi-no-miya, auxiliary shrine of the Inner Shrine in Sanctuary of Kotaijingu (Naiku) at Ise city

Tsukuyomi Shrine, auxiliary lunar at Matsunoo-taisha in Kyoto

The Lunar god is enshrined at auxiliary shrines such as Tsukiyomi-no-miya, a branch of the Kōtai Jingū (Inner Shrine),^[21] and Tsukiyomi-no-miya, a branch of the Toyo’uke Daijingū (Outer Shrine).^[22] In addition, the Tsukuyomi Shrine in Kyoto City^[b] was founded with a transfer of the deity from the Tsukuyomi Shrine in Iki City.^[23] The name of Mount Gassan (1984 m, in Yamagata Prefecture), one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains and part of the Three Mountains of Dewa, is said to derive from the enshrinement of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto at the mountaintop shrine (Gassan Shrine, former status: Imperial major shrine).

See also

• List of lunar deities

Notes

1. Although the Kiki do not explicitly describe his gender, he is generally considered male, partly because he carried a sword when he killed the food goddess (see p.104 of Yaoyorozu no Kamigami).
2. An auxiliary shrine of Matsuo Taisha (in Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)