In the beginning and for ages following, the universe was just thick, sluggish matter. Then there was a separation that happened where the lighter elements separated themselves and rose up, creating a space between the two. The upper area was known as Takamagahara, the high plain of heaven.
Three Gods were born into the heavenly realm. They consulted with each other about how to bring order to the earthy realm, but lacked the power to do anything about it. Soon after a group young gods were born and two of these gods, Izanagi and Izanami, were chosen to go to earth and make some order of it. Izanagi carried a spear from the Lord of Heaven to help them with their great task. They went down through the clouds but all was just thick fog. he began to plunge his spear into the fog. Mud began to amass on the spear and fall, and then water began to flow from the spear. Soon all the fog cleared and they saw they had created and island with a sea that surrounded it.
They built a shrine with a great column that came up from the middle. They soon realized that island was very small. Izanagi told Izanami that in order to make more islands, they must first become man and wife. They did a ceremony around the column, but they apparently did it wrong because the joy between them was lost. After consulting with the gods, Izanagi told his wife that the gods were unhappy because after the ceremony, she spoke before him. “Man must take precedence over woman”. So they did the ceremony again and this time he spoke first. Out of this ceremony, they rediscovered their love. They sat up all night in the shrine and talked about making new islands. In the morning, the eight islands of Japan has been built, and then everyday more and more island appeared.
They had many children like the Sea Spirit and the Mountain Spirit, and then finally a daughter was born to them. She was Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. They prayed for one last son, a fire god, and he was born, but Izanami was badly hurt by his birth and eventually died, the first death that the new world had seen. Izanagi also experienced the first grief.
After days and nights of weeping, Izanagi decides to try to find his wife. He finally reached the dark underworld. She tells him she must ask for permission to go with him back home, but that while she is gone, he must promise not to go into her room. He agrees and off she goes. he waits awhile but then smells something terrible that awakens a terror in him. He traces the smell to a door and opens it. She awakens and is angry at him for betraying her one wish. She sends demons after him. He makes it to the outer world and puts a huge boulder in front of the entrance to block the way of his pursuers. Izanami arrives and is outraged, demanding to know why he broke his promise. He tells her that they now must get divorced and with this laid the foundation for all future divorces. “From that time, all bonds between them and their worlds were separated.”