The Shrine God

The First Gods Married in Japan

The deities of Kumanotaisha Shrine are also known as Izanakinomikoto and Izanaminomikoto. Because both of their names contain the word “izana” which means “invitation”, they express the word of love between man and woman. They are worshipped as the gods of marriage, the first gods to be married in Japan.

The Spirit Recorded in the Kojiki
(Ancient History of Japan)

Myths relate how Iazanakinomikoto and Izanaminomikoto, deities of Kumano Taisha Shrine, were the first married couple of Japan. According to myth, the male god, Izanakinomikoto, spoke first. “Ah, you must be a wonderful woman”. Responding to this, the female god, Izanaminomikoto, replied like this. “Ah, you must a wonderful man”. These were simple, honest words without bargaining or ornamentation. They were the first proposal in Japan. The words of the two deities recorded in Japan’s most ancient document show a bright, clear, and straightforward spirit, relating an important way of life of Japanese people.