いざなみ (黄泉比良坂) · Death and the Underworld

Izanami (Yomotsu-Shikome)

Izanami, originally the goddess of creation, takes on the form of Yomotsu-Shikome as a kami of death in Shinto. Depicted as a dark and polluted entity, she rules over Yomi, the land of the dead. Her dual nature reflects both the beauty of life and the inevitability of death, emphasizing the transition between these states. Rituals involving her focus on purification and pacification of the dead.

Mythology

In the Kojiki, after giving birth to fire deity Kagutsuchi, Izanami succumbed to death and descended into Yomi. Izanagi, her consort, descended to reclaim her but was horrified by her transformation into Yomotsu-Shikome. She became a symbol of death, representing the liminal space between life and the afterlife.