Aspiring to Become One.

Q: Anime’s Roots Are in Japanese Mythology?!

NARUTO (Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Susanō, Izanagi, and Izanami) Yu-Gi-Oh! (Hinokagutsuchi, Yamata Dragon) Record of Ragnarok (Susanō) Demon Slayer (“Hashira” is the traditional counter for Kami.) Pokémon (Partly inspired by Japanese mythology.)

japanmyths.com

The Japanese Mythology Guidebook

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

Three Features

1

Manga

2

Clear and Detailed Explanations

3

Kojiki

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.)

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.
A pale blue infographic titled “Japanese Culture: Not All the Same!” explains that several well-known parts of Japanese culture belong to different categories. Separate white boxes with blue borders are arranged across the page. The upper-left box is labeled “Mythology” with the examples “Kami, Shrine, Shintō.” The upper-right area includes a small box labeled “Buddhism” and a larger box labeled “Yokai,” with the examples “Kappa, Yuki-onna, Kitsune, and More.” A middle-left box reads “Samurai, Bushi,” while a middle-right box reads “Ukiyo-e” with “Hokusai, Hiroshige” underneath. Near the bottom, a large box is labeled “Ninja.” A smaller box on the lower right is labeled “Oni” and explains, “They are sometimes considered Yokai.” The design uses large black decorative lettering, bright blue outlines, and a turquoise outer border. The creator’s name, ©Tokura Kura, appears in the bottom-right corner.

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)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are Buddhism and Shinto Different?
A: Yes. They are different.

Q: What Is the Kojiki?
A: It is the oldest surviving historical record in Japan.

 Read more here ↓↓
What is Kojiki?

Q: I’d Like to Get an Overview of Japanese Mythology First.
A: ↓↓

Read more here ↓↓
What is Japanese Mythology?

↓ Currently under revision (I’’ll get to it whenever I feel like it.)

Izanaki
Izanami
Amenominakanushi
Hinokagutsuchi
Ōgetsuhime
Amaterasu
Susanō
Amenominakanushi
Hinokagutsuchi
Ōgetsuhime