Tsukuyomi, also called Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, is the moon deity in Japanese mythology. In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, two early chronicles with differing versions of the creation story, he is a child of the creator deity Izanagi and is associated with the moon and the night.
Who Is Tsukuyomi?
Tsukuyomi is one of the principal divine figures in Japan’s early creation narratives. His name is commonly rendered in English as “Moon Deity” or “Moon God,” though the meaning and written forms of the name have been interpreted in different ways. Japanese sources call him a kami, a term for a divine or sacred presence; “god” is a familiar translation, but it does not capture every aspect of the term.
Tsukuyomi is less prominent in surviving mythology than his siblings Amaterasu, the sun deity, and Susanoo, the storm-associated deity. The chronicles give him a place in the divine family and explain a separation between sun and moon, but they provide relatively little narrative about his later deeds or worship. This is why modern summaries often describe him simply as the Japanese moon god, while a fuller account requires distinguishing between the two chronicles.
Birth in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
The Kojiki, completed in 712, tells that Izanagi produced several deities while purifying himself after returning from the land of the dead. When he washed his right eye, Tsukuyomi was born. Amaterasu came from his left eye, and Susanoo from his nose. Izanagi assigned the three deities their respective domains: Tsukuyomi received the night, in contrast with Amaterasu’s rule over the sunlit world.
The Nihon Shoki, compiled in 720, preserves multiple accounts of the creation of these deities rather than only one version. In one account, Tsukuyomi is born when Izanagi holds up a white-copper mirror in his right hand. Other passages connect his birth to Izanagi’s purification. The accounts share the broad idea that Tsukuyomi belongs to the divine generation produced by Izanagi, but their details are not identical.
These differences are normal for early Japanese mythology. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki preserve related traditions in distinct literary and political works; they should not be forced into a single perfectly consistent biography. When a source is named, it matters: the eye-washing detail is specifically the Kojiki version, while the Nihon Shoki offers more than one account.
The Story of Tsukuyomi and Ukemochi
The best-known episode involving Tsukuyomi appears in the Nihon Shoki. Amaterasu sends him to visit Ukemochi, a food deity. Ukemochi produces food from her body and presents it to him. Tsukuyomi reacts with disgust and kills her. Amaterasu is angered by his act and refuses to see him again, which the narrative uses to explain why the sun and moon are apart.
The story then describes useful things emerging from Ukemochi’s body. Depending on the account and its wording, these include food plants and animals such as rice, millet, beans, wheat, silkworms, and cattle or horses. The episode links food, agriculture, and the divine order: nourishment comes into the world, but Tsukuyomi’s violent response causes a lasting division between the two great lights.
This episode is often retold as though it were the sole, universally agreed account of Tsukuyomi’s character. It is better understood as a particular narrative in the Nihon Shoki, not a complete or consistent mythology shared identically by every source. The Kojiki includes Tsukuyomi’s birth and place among the deities but does not tell this same Ukemochi episode.
What Does Tsukuyomi Represent?
Tsukuyomi’s clearest association is the moon, especially as one half of the sun-and-moon pair represented by him and Amaterasu. The chronicles also connect him with night. Beyond these basic associations, it is wise to avoid assigning him a detailed set of powers or personality traits that the early texts do not establish.
Readers sometimes assume that Tsukuyomi must govern every activity connected with the moon, such as tides, calendars, or the harvest. The early accounts do not give him a comprehensive portfolio of that kind. His status as a moon kami is firmly grounded in the mythology, while more elaborate descriptions may come from later interpretation, regional practice, or modern popular culture and should be identified as such.
Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and Susanoo
The three siblings make a useful comparison, but they do not receive equal attention in the surviving stories:
- Amaterasu is the sun deity and a central figure in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Her story includes her withdrawal into a cave and the efforts of other deities to bring her out.
- Susanoo is associated with storms and the sea in early accounts, and his stories include conflict with Amaterasu and the slaying of the serpent Yamata no Orochi.
- Tsukuyomi is the moon deity. His surviving narrative role is comparatively brief, particularly beside the more extensive episodes of Amaterasu and Susanoo.
Thus, calling Tsukuyomi Amaterasu’s brother is accurate in the accounts that present the three as Izanagi’s children. Some modern retellings describe the siblings with neatly balanced domains—sun, moon, and storms—but the old chronicles do not give all three equally developed stories or a fully symmetrical system.
Worship and Later Interpretations
Tsukuyomi is a figure in Shinto mythology, and shrines associated with him exist in Japan. Tsukiyomi-no-miya, an auxiliary shrine within the Ise Grand Shrine complex, is dedicated to Tsukuyomi. Shrine traditions and local religious practices have their own histories; the existence of a shrine does not mean that the early chronicles supply a detailed, uniform account of how every community worshipped him.
In contemporary writing, games, animation, and other popular media, Tsukuyomi may be given new powers, personality traits, or relationships. These can be creative adaptations, but they should not be confused with what the Kojiki or Nihon Shoki says. For a source-based summary, the most secure points are his identity as a moon kami, his connection to Izanagi and the other siblings, and the Nihon Shoki story of the rupture with Amaterasu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Japanese moon god?
Tsukuyomi, also known as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, is the moon deity in Japanese mythology. He is one of the children of Izanagi in the early chronicles.
Is Tsukuyomi male or female?
Tsukuyomi is generally presented as male in common accounts and translations. The surviving early narratives, however, focus more on his divine identity and actions than on an extensive description of his appearance or character.
Who are Tsukuyomi’s parents?
In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Tsukuyomi is associated with Izanagi’s creation of deities during or after purification. The precise birth detail varies between accounts; the Kojiki says he was born from Izanagi washing his right eye.
Why are Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu separated?
In an account in the Nihon Shoki, Tsukuyomi kills the food deity Ukemochi after taking offense at how she produces food. Amaterasu is angered and no longer wishes to meet him, explaining the separation of sun and moon in that story.
Is Tsukuyomi in the Kojiki?
Yes. The Kojiki names Tsukuyomi among Izanagi’s children and associates him with the night, but it does not include the same Ukemochi episode found in the Nihon Shoki.
Related
- Should Article Names Be Italicized? A Style Guide
- East Coast Time: What It Is & How It Works
- Community Forests International: What They Do
How pages are sourced and corrected: Sources and editorial policy.