Read, reflect, pray
Nihon Shoki: How the sun and moon were born
Nihon Shoki · Story 3 of 17
日と月は、どのように生まれたか
Sun and moon born to two parents, and a mirror-based variant.
English translation of this site’s published story summary and reading notes. This is a selected reading guide, not a complete translation of the ancient chronicle.
A variant account (issho, introduced as “one writing says”) is a different tradition preserved beside the main narrative. It is labeled separately below.
Main narrative
Book 1, section 5
After giving birth to seas, rivers, mountains, trees, and grasses, the two deities consult about producing a ruler of the world. Thus the sun deity Ōhirumenomuchi is born. Delighted at the light illuminating the world, they send this child to heaven and entrust heavenly affairs to her.
Next they produce the moon deity and send this child to heaven to rule alongside the sun. Hiruko and Susanoo are then born. Susanoo continually weeps, and his parents order him to the root land.
Variant account (issho)
Book 1, section 5 variant 1
Another account says the sun deity appears when Izanagi holds a white-bronze mirror in his left hand, the moon deity when he holds it in his right, and Susanoo while he turns and looks around.
Compare with the Kojiki
In the main narrative, the two parents consult and produce sun and moon; in variant account 1 they appear from Izanagi’s white-bronze mirror. The Kojiki’s three noble children arise from Izanagi’s ablution. Ablution births in the Nihon Shoki belong to a different account, variant 6.
Purification and the three noble children →Connected figures
Names and relationships in a chronicle may differ from later traditions. Each figure’s introduction identifies its sources.
Sources and edition (2)
English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.