Kamiumi

Key takeaways

Kamiumi belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kamiumi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kamiumi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In Japanese mythology, the story of the birth of the gods (神産み, Kamiumi) occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi). It concerns the birth of the divine (kami) descendants of Izanagi and Izanami.

Story According to the Kojiki, various kami were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire kami, Kagu-tsuchi, at birth burned Izanami's genitals and wounded her fatally. Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-grasp sabre and crushed his child, Kagutsuchi. A number of kami were born from the blood and remains of Kagutsuchi. Subsequently, Izanagi went to the land of Yomi (the world of the dead) to find Izanami, however when he found her, she had become a rotting corpse and from her parts other kami had arisen, causing the flight of Izanagi to the world of the living. Then Izanagi performed the misogi (ritual purification), through which more kami are born. The last of these are the three most important kami of Shinto: Amaterasu, kami of the sun; Tsukuyomi, kami of the moon; and Susanoo, kami of the storms.

Birth of the kami After having created the Eight Large Islands (Ōyashima) and other islands during the creation of Japan, Izanagi and Izanami decided to give birth to other kami, among them household deities, deities of the wind, trees and meadows, all born spontaneously:

Ōkoto-oshi'o (大事忍男神) = Ōgoto-oshi'o, male kami Iwatsuchi-biko (石土毘古神), male kami Iwasu-hime (石巣比売神), female kami Ōtohi-wake (大戸日別神), genderless kami Ame-no-fuki'o (天之吹男神), male kami Ōya-biko (大屋毘古神), male kami Kazamo-tsuwake-no-oshi'o (風木津別之忍男神), male kami Ōwata-tsumi (大綿津見神), genderless kami Haya-'akitsu-hiko (速秋津日子神), male kami Haya-'akitsu-hime (ハヤアキツヒコ・ハヤアキツヒメ; 速秋津比売神), female kami From the relationship between Haya'akitsuhiko and Haya'akitsuhime the following kami were born: Aha-nagi (沫那藝神) = Awa-nagi, male kami Aha-nami (沫那美神) = Awa-nami, female kami Tsura-nagi (頬那藝神), male kami Tsura-nami (頬那美神), female kami Ame-no-mikumari (天之水分神), genderless kami Kuni-no-mikumari (国之水分神), genderless kami Ame-no-kuhizamochi (天之久比奢母智神), genderless kami Kuni-no-kuhizamochi (国之久比奢母智神), genderless kami Shina-tsu-hiko (志那都比古神), male kami Kukunochi (久久能智神), genderless kami Ohoyama-tsumi/ Ōyama-tsumi (大山津見神, Ohoyama-tsumi/ Ōyama-tsumi -no-kami), male kami - [for his genealogy with Susanoo, please refer to Ōyamatsumi] Kaya-no-hime (鹿屋野比売神), also known as No-zuchi (野椎神), female kami From the relationship between Ohoyamatsumi and Kaya-no-hime the following kami were born: Ame-no-sazuchi (天之狭土神), genderless kami Kuni-no-sazuchi (国之狭土神), genderless kami Ame-no-sagiri (天之狭霧神), genderless kami Kuni-no-sagiri (国之狭霧神), genderless kami Ame-no-kurado (天之闇戸神), genderless kami Kuni-no-kurado (国之闇戸神), genderless kami Ohoto-mato-hiko (大戸惑子神), male kami Ohoto-mato-hime (大戸惑女神), female kami Tori-no-iwa-kusu-fune (鳥之石楠船神; "Bird's-Rock-Camphor-tree-Boat"), also known as Ame-no-torifune (天鳥船) - genderless kami Ukemochi (大宜都比売神), female kami, Goddess of food. Hi-no-yagi-haya'o (火之夜藝速男神) = Kagu-tsuchi, also known as Hi-no-kaga-biko (火之炫毘古神) and Hi-no-kagu-tsuchi (火之迦具土神), male kami, Kami of fire and the hearth.

During Kagutsuchi's birth, Izanami's genitals were burned and she was mortally wounded. In her agony, from her vomit, urine and feces more kami were born.

Kanayama-biko (金山毘古神), male kami born from the vomit and feces of Izanami Kanayama-bime (金山毘売神), female kami born from the vomit and feces of Izanami Haniyasu-biko (波邇夜須毘古神), male kami born from the feces of Izanami Haniyasu-bime (波邇夜須毘売神) , female kami born from the feces of Izanami Mitsuhano-me (彌都波能売神) = Mizuhanome (Kami of water), female kami born from the urine of Izanami Wakumusubi (和久産巣日神), = Tori-no-wakumusubi (Kami of agriculture), male kami born from the urine of Izanami Wakumusuhi had a daughter: 1. Toyouke (豊宇気毘売神 [Toyouke-bime]) = Toyoukebime (kami of agriculture) female kami;

Death of Kagutsuchi After the agony, Izanami dies. At the time Izanagi crept moaning about the body and mourned her death. From his tears, the female kami Nakisawame (泣沢女神) was born. Subsequently, Izanagi buried Izanami on Mount Hiba. His sadness turned into anger and he decided to kill Kagutsuchi with a ten-grasp sword called Ame-no-ohabari/ (archaic name) Ame-no-wohabari(天之尾羽張; also known as Itsu-no-ohabari/ (archaic name) Itsu-no-wohabari) . From the blood of Kagutsuchi the following kami emerged:

Iwasaku (石折神) Nesaku (根折神) - Minor Star God. Iwa-tsutsu-noo (石筒之男神) The kami above were born from the blood that fell from the tip of the sword in the rocks. Mika-haya-hi (甕速日神) Hi-haya-hi (樋速日神) Take-mi-kagu-tsuchi-noo (建御雷之男神), also known as Takefutsu (建布都神) or Toyofutsu (豊布都神) The kami above were born from the blood that fell from the blade of the sword. Kuraokami (闇淤加美神) Kuramitsuha (闇御津羽神) The kami above were born from the blood that fell from the handle of the sword. Also, from the body of Kagutsuchi the following kami were born:

Masakayama-tsumi (正鹿山津見神), emerged from Kagutsuchi's head; Odoyama-tsumi (淤縢山津見神), from the chest; Okuyama-tsumi (奥山津見神), from the abdomen; Kurayama-tsumi (Kojiki: 闇山津見神) or (Nihon Shiki: 闇山祇), from the genitals; Shigiyama-tsumi (志藝山津見神), from the left arm; Hayama-tsumi (羽山津見神), from the right arm; Harayama-tsumi (原山津見神), from the left foot; Toyama-tsumi (Kojiki: 戸山津見神) or (Nihon Shiki: 戸山祇), from the right foot.

Land of Yomi

Izanagi then decided to bring back Izanami and goes to Yomi-no-kuni, the underworld. Crossing the gates to that world, he met Izanami and says to her:

The countries that you and I have created have not been completed yet. Let us return! Izanami replied:

Too bad you did not come before, for I have eaten in the country of Yomi! [By eating food in the land of Yomi, one ends up stuck being a resident of Yomi. This concept is called, "Yomotsu Hegui (黄泉戸喫)."] ... however, I will consult with the kami of Yomi. Under no circumstances you may look at me! On saying this, Izanami entered the palace of these kami. However, time passed and she did not return and Izanagi began to despair. So he broke one of the tines of his ornamental comb mizura that he wore in the left bun of his hair, lit it in order to light the place and decided to enter the world of dead. He manages to find Izanami but is surprised to see that she lost her beauty and had become a rotting corpse, covered with maggots. Of her body were born the eight Gods of thunder, which were:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kamiumi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kamiumi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kamiumi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kamiumi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kamiumi

In research: Kamiumi appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kamiumi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kamiumi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Creation myths, Japanese mythology, Kojiki, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kamiumi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Kamiumi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kamiumi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kamiumi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kamiumi in simple terms?

In Japanese mythology, the story of the birth of the gods (神産み, Kamiumi) occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi). It concerns the birth of the divine (kami) descendants of Izanagi and Izanami.

Why does Kamiumi matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kamiumi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kamiumi.