The Japanese Moon God: Tsukuyomi, the Japanese God of the Moon, Etiquette and Balance

In this article, I will write about one of the most important Japanese Gods, Tsukuyomi, the Moon God.

Who is the God of the Moon in Japanese Mythology?

Tsukuyomi is the ancient Japanese Moon God, and he is part of the Japanese Pantheon with other Japanese Deities. Sometimes he is called Tsukuyomi Otoko (月讀壮士) or Tsukuhito Otoko (月人壮士), meaning “moon-reading man.” Tsukuyomi was the Shintoistic Moon God and ruler of time in Japanese mythology. Tsukuyomi had command over Heaven and Hell and ruled all things connected with time: New Year’s celebrations, calendars, seasons, months, directions, days, ages of man’s life; even down to facial expressions like smiling or frowning were attributed to Tsukuyomi.

The oldest account about Tsukuyomi is found in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The old writings tell us that Tsukuyomi was married to his sister Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun.

Tsukuyomi ruled over the months, seasons and years by measuring their lengths of light and darkness. When he becomes unbalanced, it’s believed it can create earthquakes or other forms of natural disasters. This God is also responsible for etiquette and manners in…