The moon over Kyoto in autumn is a quiet thing. No fanfare, no crowd, just a pale disc above the rooftops. The god who is said to rule it behaves the same way: present, powerful, and almost silent.
Tsukuyomi (月読) is the Japanese god of the moon, a kami of night and time, born from Izanagi and brother to the sun goddess Amaterasu and the storm god Susanoo. His name comes from tsuku (moon) and yomi (to read or count).
You find out about Tsukuyomi in this article:
- His specificity as a god
- His origins
- The influence of this Japanese deity in popular culture
Key points
- Tsukuyomi is the moon kami, counterpart of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
- He is usually male, though a few texts give him a female form.
- He killed the food deity Uke Mochi, which is why day and night never share the sky.
- His origin story changes from one text to another, more than for any other major kami.
- Naruto, My Hero Academia and several games borrow his name for moon or illusion powers.
Tsukuyomi meaning
From "Tsuku" ("Moon"; "month") and "Yomi" ("read"; "tell"), "Tsukuyomi" or "Tsukiyomi" is the name of a god in Japanese mythology associated with the moon, night, and time. The texts give him several roles. He lights the night and controls the passage of the seasons, which explains his link with agriculture. He is also said to command the tide.
He is generally considered male (Tsukuyomi-Otoko) but some texts attribute him with female gender (Tsukoyomi). He defends nature and social order. He sometimes manifests himself to those who invoke him by appearing in a mirror or through an avatar. The attributes of this divine figure vary greatly from one text to the next.
Although he is as important a figure as the Kami Amaterasu and Susanoo, Tsukuyomi seems more withdrawn, less active. He appears less often in the texts than his peers. In the Nihon Shoki for example, he is only mentioned in the first document, section 11, Chapter 5.
That quiet presence is exactly why the moon motif works so well on clothing. It says something without shouting. I often reach for a moon print when I want a piece that reads as calm rather than loud.
Tsukuyomi god
His origins are also uncertain. Several texts give several versions. The most popular seems to be that of the Kojiki text, through the myth of the three noble divine children (Mihashira-no-Uzunomiko). After returning from the Yomi, the world of the dead, Izanagi, one of the creator gods, went to purify himself by bathing in the Tachibana River. In this way, he gave birth to three noble divine children: Amaterasu came out of his left eye, Susanoo from his nose and Tsukuyomi from his right eye.
Another version says that he was instead born from a copper mirror that Izanagi held in his right hand. After which he would have ascended to heaven, and thus joined his sister Amaterasu, presented in some versions as his wife.
In yet a third version, the god is born not only from Izanagi but from his union with Izanami, before being sent to heaven to play a complementary role with the sun deity.
Japanese myth explaining the succession of day and night
After their birth, Tsukuyomi lived with his sister Amaterasu in the sky (Takama-ga-hara). One day she was invited to a banquet by Uke Mochi, the deity of food. Since she could not attend, she had her brother Tsukuyomi represent her.
During this banquet, Uke Mochi served her guest food which she drew from her mouth. Tsukuyomi, outraged that his host would offer him food he considered defiled, drew his sword and killed her on the spot. By her death Uke Mochi gave birth to rice. This is the mythical origin of the staple food of Japan.
When Amaterasu learned of this, she went into a great rage and swore that she would never see her brother again. So Tsukuyomi went into exile to the other side of the sky. Since that day the moon and sun are separated and only appear in turn, Amaterasu marking the day and Tsukuyomi marking the night.
Other stories about Tsukuyomi
Smaller texts and local records keep other fragments of his story alive. They are short, but they show how varied his cult was across Japan.
During the reign of the emperor Konin, Tsukuyomi was said to have ravaged the country in his fury. A soothsayer then advised that the god's anger be appeased by sacrificing a horse.
Tsukuyomi is said to have gone to the banquet of Uke Mochi on earth and leaned against a tree (Yutsu Katsura) in the area of Katsura Sato. This tree is thus often associated with the moon.
Shrines are dedicated to him at Ise, and in the Kadono and Yamashiro regions. The sanctuaries at Ise and Kadono contain mirrors through which the god is said to manifest.
Tsukuyomi in Japanese pop culture
Manga artists, game designers and animators keep coming back to this kami. His name carries the moon, illusion and reversal, three ideas that fit fiction perfectly.
Infinite Tsukuyomi moon
Japanese mythology is one of the main sources of inspiration for manga artists. References to Tsukuyomi, as with other deities, appear in several series.
Tsukuyomi is the name Masashi Kishimoto, author of Naruto, gives to a powerful illusion technique (Genjutsu). In the French translation it becomes "Arcane Lunaire". It alters the perception of reality and time through simple eye contact with the opponent. It requires the Mangekyō Sharingan, a hereditary gift of the Uchiha clan. Another Uchiha, Madara, plans to plunge the world into a collective illusion by reflecting a Sharingan on the face of the moon (Mugen Tsukuyomi). He turns out to be a pawn used by Kaguya for her resurrection.
Tsukuyomi also inspires My Hero Academia, where a class A student with the appearance of a humanoid bird carries the name. He is one of the strongest in his class, and one of his techniques lets him split in two. A Tsukuyomi appears as a student in Kamigami no Asobi as well.
Convention season brings out plenty of Uchiha cosplays, and the accessories matter as much as the outfit. A carved Oni mask or a fox Kitsune mask pushes a moon-themed look closer to the mythology behind it.
Video games
Tsukuyomi also appears in video games. In the Japanese version of Chrono Cross, the character Harle, who shares an affinity with the moon, is named Tsukuyomi. In Okami, Tsukuyomi is an evil sword found in the moon's cave. Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood features an antagonist named Tsukuyomi, a deity incarnated in a mortal body. The name also turns up in the trading card games Yu-Gi-Oh, Deus and Cardfight!! Vanguard.
What do you need to remember ?
Tsukuyomi is generally recognised as the Japanese god of the moon and night. He also carries several other facets. His appearance, attributes and origins vary greatly from one religious text to another. He is one of the important Japanese deities about whom the least is known, and that mystery is part of his appeal.
FAQ
What does a Tsukuyomi do?
In Shinto myth, Tsukuyomi rules the night and the moon. He is linked to the passage of time, the seasons and the tides. His most famous act is killing the food deity Uke Mochi, which separated night from day for good.
What is Tsukuyomi in Naruto?
In Naruto, Tsukuyomi is a genjutsu, an illusion technique cast through eye contact. It distorts the victim's sense of time and reality. The name is borrowed from the moon kami, not from the myth itself.
Can Itachi do Tsukuyomi?
Yes. Itachi Uchiha is the character most associated with the technique in the series, using it through his Mangekyō Sharingan. The wider Mugen Tsukuyomi, or Infinite Tsukuyomi, is a separate and far larger plan tied to Madara and Kaguya.
Is Tsukuyomi male or female?
Most texts present Tsukuyomi as male, sometimes named Tsukuyomi-Otoko. A minority of sources describe a female form. The ambiguity comes from the sheer number of regional versions of the myth.
Congratulations to the artists:
Mauro Alocci and Romain Dalbes
