Izanagi Jingu – The Shrine at the Beginning of Japan

On Awaji Island stands a shrine connected to one of the oldest stories in Japanese mythology.

Izanagi Jingu is dedicated to Izanagi and Izanami, the divine couple who appear in Japan’s oldest chronicles, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
According to Japanese mythology, the two deities were given the task of creating the islands of Japan.
Standing upon the heavenly bridge, they stirred the sea with a sacred spear. Drops of salt water fell from its tip and formed an island.

From there, Izanagi and Izanami began the creation of the Japanese islands.
And according to the ancient chronicles, the first island they created was Awaji.
For this reason, Awaji Island occupies a very special place in Japan’s creation mythology.

Izanagi Jingu is traditionally associated with the place where Izanagi later withdrew after completing his divine work of creating the land and giving birth to many of the gods of Japan.

The shrine is therefore not simply an old religious site.
It is a place connected to the Japanese story of the beginning of the country itself.
Within the grounds also stands the sacred Meoto Ōkusu, or “Husband and Wife Great Camphor Tree.”
Two trunks have grown together as one, and the tree has long been associated with marriage, harmony between couples, and family.
For visitors from overseas, Izanagi Jingu offers an opportunity to encounter a layer of Japanese culture that existed long before the age of samurai, castles, or even Buddhism in Japan.

It belongs to the world of Japan’s oldest myths.
The creation of the islands.
The birth of the gods.
The relationship between nature and the sacred.

Whether these ancient stories are approached as mythology, religion, or cultural history, they have influenced the Japanese understanding of the country for centuries.
Walking through the quiet grounds of Izanagi Jingu, it is fascinating to remember that Awaji Island was described in Japan’s ancient chronicles as the first island born in the creation of the nation.

In that sense, this peaceful shrine on Awaji Island stands very close to the beginning of the Japanese story.

BRONZE MUSEUM JAPAN

photo : Supervisor K