Night 5 Japanese Mythology (Kojiki) Overview

Kojiki, the mythic beginning of Japan

The big flow starts with sex that creates islands, then moves through the underworld, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Okuninushi, the descent from heaven and Yamato Takeru. The Kojiki does not start clean. Japan begins with divine sex, bad instructions, death, caves, drunk monsters, ugly family politics and beauty based dick choices.

Japan Begins With Bodies, Not Polite Mist

A glass hits the table.
Masa
Masa
The big flow starts with sex that creates islands, then moves through the underworld, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Okuninushi, the descent from heaven and Yamato Takeru.
Sayaka
Sayaka
That is way less polite than the shrine brochure version.
Masa
Masa
The Kojiki does not start clean.
Japan begins with divine sex, bad instructions, death, caves, drunk monsters, ugly family politics and beauty based dick choices.
Yamato
Yamato
Divine sex and bad management. Japan really opens strong.
Masa
Masa
The stories are physical as hell.
Bodies create islands, food traps people in the dead world, gods hide, bleed, give birth, get jealous and make terrible calls.

The Sacred Stuff Gets Physical

Masa
Masa
The Kojiki ties gods, land, ritual and rulership together.
Daichi
Daichi
That is where the whole room starts to understand the damage.
Masa
Masa
Many stories turn private family conflict into public order.
Sayaka
Sayaka
The sacred and the fucked up are sitting at the same table.
Masa
Masa
The myths are vivid because they are physical, strange and emotional.
The private family disaster keeps turning into public order: islands, lineages, rituals, regalia and rulers all come out of bodies doing messy body things.

Why The Myths Still Hit

Masa
Masa
It survives because land, sex, ritual, family and rulership are all tied together. The sacred stuff is not floating above life.
It is knee deep in the mess.
Yamato
Yamato
So the classic survives because the human stupidity is still alive.
Masa
Masa
Exactly. Japanese Mythology, Kojiki is not alive because the names are old.
It is alive because people still want sex, rank, praise, control, revenge, approval or a clean little excuse for their bullshit.
Sayaka
Sayaka
That is unfortunately very easy to understand.

The Mess Under The Ritual

Masa
Masa
The private family disaster keeps turning into public order: islands, lineages, rituals, regalia and rulers all come out of bodies doing messy body things.
Daichi
Daichi
That is the bit that makes the old story suddenly feel way too close.
Masa
Masa
That is the weird power of the Kojiki.
The sacred and the fucked up sit at the same table, and neither one leaves.
Sayaka
Sayaka
Yeah, that is going to stick whether I like it or not.

FAQ

Q. What is Kojiki, the mythic beginning of Japan about?
A. The big flow starts with sex that creates islands, then moves through the underworld, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Okuninushi, the descent from heaven and Yamato Takeru.
Q. What is the first thing to notice?
A. The Kojiki ties gods, land, ritual and rulership together.
Q. Why does it still hit?
A. The big flow starts with sex that creates islands, then moves through the underworld, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Okuninushi, the descent from heaven and Yamato Takeru. The private family disaster keeps turning into public order: islands, lineages, rituals, regalia and rulers all come out of bodies doing messy body things.

Up next

If this happened todayCompliance trouble meter★★★★★

Modern compliance would run out of forms before the second drink.

Against modern Japanese law, just for fun

  • 刑法190条
  • 刑法199条
  • 刑法204条
  • 刑法205条
  • 刑法218条
  • 刑法220条
  • 刑法223条
  • 刑法249条
  • 民法734条
  • 動物愛護管理法

Just for fun: a reading of which articles of present-day Japanese law the original events might brush up against. Article numbers only.

Quiz yourself (original questions)

Not copied from past papers. These are original practice questions written for this article. Give them a go.

Q1What makes Kojiki, the mythic beginning of Japan memorable?