In Japanese mythology, the Kamiyo-nanayo (神世七代, lit. “Seven Generations of the Age of the Gods“) are the seven generations of kami that emerged after the formation of heaven and earth.
List of Gods
1. Kuninotokotachi – Creator Primordial
2. Toyokumunu – Cloud Primordial
3. Uhijini – Mud Primordial
Suhijini – Mud Primordial
4. Tsunuguhi – Animal Primordial
Ikuguhi – Plant Primordial
5. Ohotonoji – Sexuality Primordial
Ohotonobe – Sexuality Primordial
6. Omodaru – Completion Primordial
Ayakashikone – Completion Primordial
7. Izanagi – Earth and Creator Primordial
Izanami – Earth and Underworld Primordial
Kuninotokotachi (国之常立神, Kuninotokotachi-no-kami)
Kuninotokotachi (国之常立神, Kuninotokotachi-no-Kami, in Kojiki) (国常立尊, Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto, in Nihonshoki) is one of the two gods born from “something like a reed that arose from the soil” when the Earth was chaotic. In the Nihon Shoki, he is the first of the first three divinities born after Heaven and Earth were born out of chaos, and is born from something looking like a reed-shoot growing between heaven and earth. He is known by mythology to reside on top of Mount Fuji.
Toyo-kumono-no-kami (豊雲野神, Toyo-kumo-no-no-kami)
In Kojiki, Toyokumono was the second one to come into being as Kamiyonanayo following Kuninotokotachi no kami. He was regarded as Hitorigami (a kami which came into being alone) like Kuninotokotachi no kami, and hid himself away just after coming into being.
Uhijini (宇比邇神, Uhijini-no-kami) and Suhijini (須比智邇神, Suhijini-no-kami)
Uhijini and Suhijini are the 3rd generation among the Kaminoyonanayo (seven generations of the gods’ world, The Primordial Seven); Uhijini is a god and Suhijini is a goddess. There had been only one god per generation, and this generation is the first to have a pair of a god and a goddess.
U’ in the name of Uhijini means mud (or ‘uki,’ in the ancient Japanese language), and ‘su’ in the name of Suhijini means sand. Their names imply how the earth has been shaped by mud and sand.
Tsunuguhi (角杙神 Tsunuguhi-no-kami) and Ikuguhi (活杙神, Ikuguhi-no-kami)
Tsunugui and Ikugui are kami (god) in Japanese Methodology (shinto).
Tsunugui and Ikugui are from the 4th generation of Kaminoyonanayo (seven generations of the gods’ world, The Primordial Seven); Tsunugui is a god and Ikugui is a goddess. Kui (or kuhi)’ (‘gui’ in the names of Tsunugui and Ikugui are actually euphonic changes of ‘kui’) has a similar meaning to ‘kumu’ (or gumu) as seen in ‘megumu’ (to sprout). Tsunogumu’ is the original word for ‘Tsunugui,’ which means sprouting a bud which looks like a horn. Ikugumu’ is the original word for ‘Ikugumi,’ which means starting to grow. These are names that imply that mud had become hard and plants came to be able to sprout and grow.
Ōtonoji (意富斗能地神) and Ōtonobe (大斗乃弁神)
Otonoji and Otonobe are kami (god) in Japanese Methodology (shinto).
Otonoji and Otonobe are the among the 5th generation of the Kaminoyonanayo (seven generations of the gods’ world, The Primordial Seven); Otonoji is a god and Otonobe is a goddess. Otonoji and Otonobe are the deification of the earth when it was completely coagulated; ‘ji’ in the name of Otonoji means man and ‘be’ in that of Otonobe means woman. Also in a theory, ‘to’ in the names of Otonoji and Otonobe is thought to come from ‘to’ as in the ‘mito no maguwai’ (literally, intercourse of genitals) and therefore suggesting genitals.
Omodaru (淤母陀琉神, Omodaru-no-kami) and Aya-kashiko-ne (阿夜訶志古泥神, Aya-kashiko-ne-no-kami)
Omodaru and Ayakashikone are kami (god) in Japanese Methodology (shinto).
Omodaru and Ayashikakone are the 6th generations among the Kaminoyonanayo (seven generations of the gods’ world, The Primordial Seven); Omodaru is a god and Ayakashikone is a goddess.
Omodaru means ‘the surface (omo) of the earth has been completed (taru).’
Ayashikashikone praised it by saying ‘ayanikashikoshi’ (meaning “surprisingly wonderful”) according to the Kojikiden (Commentaries on the Kojiki).
Izanagi (伊邪那岐神, Izanagi-no-kami) and Izanami (伊邪那美神, Izanami-no-kami)
Izanagi (イザナギ) or Izanaki (イザナキ) is a creator deity (kami) in Japanese mythology. He and his sister-wife Izanami are the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifested after the formation of heaven and earth. Izanagi and Izanami are held to be the creators of the Japanese archipelago and the progenitors of many deities, which include the sun goddess Amaterasu, the moon deity Tsukuyomi and the storm god Susanoo.
Izanami no mikoto (伊弉冉尊/伊邪那美命, meaning “she who invites”) is a creator deity of both creation and death in Japanese mythology. She is the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami no kami.
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