Thank you for visiting. This article is one installment in a series that explains the “original texts” of the world’s myths and religions — an index page summarizing the original texts of “Japanese mythology,” the one most familiar to us.
The stories of Japanese mythology — Amaterasu, Susanoo, the slaying of Yamata-no-Orochi — are recorded mainly in two books compiled in the Nara period, the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. Together these two are called the “Kiki.”
This series does not retell the stories; it explains them in line with the original texts themselves (in which book, where, and how they are recorded). So the articles too are divided by original text, comprising five articles: the Kojiki (Articles 1–3), the Nihon Shoki (Article 4), and the Fudoki and others (Article 5). This page introduces the big picture and which original text each article covers.
The “strength” of the gods and heroes of Japanese mythology has been introduced previously in ranking form, so please use that as a reference too.
You can also view the complete index of the world’s myths and religions, including others besides Japanese mythology, from the page below.
The Big Picture of Japanese Mythology’s Original Texts
The two pillars of Japanese mythology, the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, differ greatly in purpose and character despite their close dates of composition.
Summarizing their differences gives the following.
| Original text | Date | Volumes | Style / character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kojiki | AD 712 | 3 volumes | Mostly Japanese prose. Highly narrative, richly depicting myth |
| Nihon Shoki | AD 720 | 30 volumes | Classical Chinese, annalistic. Compiled as an outward-facing “official history” |
| Fudoki | AD 713– | by province | Local gazetteers and traditions. Conveys myths not in the Kiki |
Of these, the flow of the most narratively rich Kojiki upper volume (the age of gods) is as follows. Articles 1–3 trace it in the order of the Kojiki’s text.
Now, let me introduce which original text each article covers.
An Anatomical Illustrated Guide to the Gods of JapanView on Amazon →
The Nihon Shoki: Full Modern Translation + Commentary, Vol. 1, Age of GodsView on Amazon →
Article 1: Kojiki, Upper Volume (First Half)
The first part of the series, after first grasping the original text called the Kojiki itself (its composition, compilation, and 3-volume structure), explains the first half of the upper volume (the age of gods). It traces, in the order of the original text, the “creation of heaven and earth,” Izanagi and Izanami’s “birth of the land and the gods,” “the land of Yomi,” and on to the birth of the three noble children.
Article 2: Kojiki, Upper Volume (Second Half)
The second part of the series explains the second half of the Kojiki’s upper volume. It covers “Ama-no-Iwato (the heavenly rock cave),” Susanoo’s “slaying of Yamata-no-Orochi,” the “White Hare of Inaba” and Okuninushi’s land-making, and on to the “transfer of the land.”
Article 3: Kojiki, the Heavenly Descent and the Age of Humans
The third part of the series explains the text continuing from the end of the Kojiki’s upper volume into the middle volume (the age of humans). It covers the “heavenly descent (Tenson kōrin)” and the Three Sacred Treasures, “Umisachi and Yamasachi,” the founding by the first “Emperor Jimmu,” and on to the hero Yamato Takeru.
Article 4: Nihon Shoki — the Official History and the “One Book”
The fourth part of the series explains the other original text, the Nihon Shoki. It covers the format — composed in AD 720, 30 volumes, annalistic in classical Chinese — volumes 1–2 dealing with the age of gods, and the distinctive policy of recording variant traditions of the same myth side by side as “one book says,” and the differences from the Kojiki.
Article 5: The Fudoki and Other Original Texts
The fifth part of the series (the finale) explains the Fudoki, which convey traditions not found in the Kiki. It covers their character as gazetteers compiled by official command in AD 713, the “land-pulling myth” of the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki, and original texts that supplement the Kiki, such as the Sendai Kuji Hongi and the Kogo Shūi.
To Learn More
Here are some related books. Reading them alongside this series lets you savor this world even more deeply.
The Easiest-to-Understand Japanese MythologyView on Amazon →
A Handbook of Japanese Myths and GodsView on Amazon →
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the big picture of Japanese mythology’s original texts and what the five articles of the series cover. How was it?
Japanese mythology is conveyed by original texts of differing character: the Kojiki, highly narrative and full of appeal as a reading text; the Nihon Shoki, an official history that also records variants; and the Fudoki, which convey local traditions. This series explained these one original text at a time, in line with their texts.
Beginning with the creation of heaven and earth, then the birth of the land, Ama-no-Iwato, the slaying of Yamata-no-Orochi, the transfer of the land, and through the heavenly descent connecting to the imperial house — the flow of the story is a grand myth that tells the origin of the nation of Japan.
Besides Japanese mythology, I also explain the original texts of Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian mythology, and Christianity (the Bible). For the full list, see the complete index of the world’s myths and religions.
For the strength of the gods and heroes of Japanese mythology, please use this ranking article as a reference too.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
📚 Series: The Original Texts of Japanese Mythology (1/6)
