Name
- Tsukuyomi no Mikoto (月読命 / 月夜見命)
Identity
Tsukuyomi no Mikoto is the deity of the moon in Shintō mythology. Together with Amaterasu Ōmikami and Susanoo no Mikoto, Tsukuyomi belongs to the divine siblings born from Izanagi. Compared to the other two, Tsukuyomi is a more discreet figure, often associated with the night, calm order, and the rhythm of time.
Mythological role
Tsukuyomi embodies the principle of night and cycles: the passage of time, alternation, and balance through rhythm. While Amaterasu represents daylight and visible order, Tsukuyomi governs what unfolds in darkness: rest, reflection, restraint, and regulation.
Famous myth
The most well-known episode involving Tsukuyomi concerns the goddess Uke Mochi no Kami, the deity of food. Invited to a feast, Tsukuyomi becomes enraged when Uke Mochi produces food from her mouth and body. Judging this act as impure, Tsukuyomi kills her.
When Amaterasu learns of this, she is deeply offended and decides to separate from Tsukuyomi forever. From that moment on, the sun and the moon no longer appear together, explaining the eternal separation of day and night.
Worship
Tsukuyomi is worshiped at a limited number of shrines compared to Amaterasu, but he is invoked in contexts related to:
the regulation of time and cycles,
calmness, emotional balance, and self-control,
night, rest, and introspection,
sometimes purification through restraint and distance.
Symbolism
Tsukuyomi symbolizes the moon as a force of order through distance. Unlike solar clarity, lunar light is indirect and reflective. He represents balance maintained through separation, moderation, and respect for boundaries. In a broader sense, Tsukuyomi embodies the quiet side of order: not expansion, but regulation; not brilliance, but control.