Eda Shrine: The Purification Myth

Eda Shrine in Miyazaki enshrines the creation deities Izanagi and Izanami, and the site is linked to one of the most significant myths in the Kojiki, Japan's oldest written chronicle. The myth describes Izanagi purifying himself in water after fleeing the underworld, an act that gave birth to three major Shinto deities: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo. Eighth-century scholars placed this purification in Hyuga province, present-day Miyazaki, because of its location facing the rising sun. Several sites in the area were later identified as where the myth unfolded, with the land around Eda Shrine being one of the most closely associated.