Start here! - JapanMyths

1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth

1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth

2. The Birth of the Land

2. The Birth of the Land

3. The couple’s first child

3. The couple’s first child

4. Made the island of Japan

4. Made the island of Japan

5. Birth of Kami

5. Birth of Kami

6. The death of Izanami

6. The death of Izanami

7. Izanaki in Yomi

7. Izanaki in Yomi

8 Don’t look — But He Does

8 Don’t look — But He Does

9 Izanaki Escapes from the land of Yomi

9 Izanaki Escapes from the land of Yomi

10. Driving Back the Pursuers

10. Driving Back the Pursuers

11 An eternal separation

11 An eternal separation

12 Izanaki Purifies Himself (Misogi)

12 Izanaki Purifies Himself (Misogi)

Read the Latest Manga Episode（Episode List）

Your First Stop
forJapanese Mythology
for Non-Japanese Readers

Aspiring to Become One.

japanmyths.com

There are countless Kami in Japan.

“Kami” is a Japanese word referring to gods, spirits, and sacred presences in Japanese belief.

The Japanese Mythology Guidebook

(Planned for Completion in2028 The manga is currently being created.)

Three Features

1

Manga: Even if you are not familiar with Japanese culture, you can enjoy learning through visuals.

How to Read the Manga

2

Clear and Detailed Explanations

Learning the background helps deepen your understanding.
You can also see the names of the Kami in a clear list.

3

Kojiki: Because it is based on the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest historical record, you can explore stories that were officially compiled by the ancient Japanese government.

What Is the Kojiki? Learn More

The Kami of Japan are often the inspiration behind manga, anime, and video games.

・Naruto (Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, and Amaterasu)
・Yu-Gi-Oh! (Hi-no-Kagutsuchi)
・Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Hashira—a word that is also used as a counter for Kami)
・Pokémon (No Kami names appear directly, but several episodes resemble Japanese mythology and are said to have helped inspire parts of its worldbuilding.)

Interested in Japanese mythology, but not sure where to start?
What kinds of stories does it include?
When was it written, and by whom?
Want to learn about it in a structured way?
How is it different from Buddhism?
Thought yokai were part of Japanese mythology?

Explore the Big Picture of Japanese Mythology

Worldview

A colorful illustrated map of the world of Japanese mythology based on the Kojiki. It shows the main realms where the Kami and humans live: the Heavenly Realm (Taka-ma-ga-hara), the Earthly Realm (Ashihara no Nakatsu Kuni), the World of the Sea (Watatsumi no Miya), the World of the Dead (Yomi no Kuni), the World of Night, the Distant Land (Tokoyo no Kuni), and Ne no Katasu Kuni, a realm where life and death coexist. Yomotsu Hirasaka, the slope connecting the world of the living and the dead, is also depicted underground.

The Main Realms

Read Episode 1 of the Kojiki Manga

Click the image.

Approximately 60 episodes in total (scheduled for completion in 2028).

Browse the Episode List

Historical Texts Containing Japanese Mythology

Timeline chart of major historical texts related to Japanese mythology.
The chart begins with the lost texts Tennōki and Kokki from 620 CE, shown as part of the same national project, with no surviving manuscripts or copies.
It then highlights Kojiki (712 CE) in pink, noting that this website’s manga is based on this text. Nihon Shoki (720 CE) is shown alongside it as part of the same project.
Other texts include Fudoki (713 CE), described as regional gazetteers with only partial copies surviving, Kogoshūi (807 CE), Sendai Kuji Hongi (807–900 CE), labeled as often considered a forgery but partially used as reference material, and Engi-shiki (927 CE).
Each entry includes notes about whether the original manuscript is lost and whether copies survive. The bottom of the image reads “Historical Texts Containing Japanese Mythology,” “Japanmyths.com,” and “Created by Tokura Kura.”

Read the Manga

(Click the Image)

1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth

1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth

2. The Birth of the Land

2. The Birth of the Land

3. The couple’s first child

3. The couple’s first child

4. Made the island of Japan

4. Made the island of Japan

5. Birth of Kami

5. Birth of Kami