Ame-no-Minakanushi- Japanese PrimordialPrimordial"Central Master of Heaven"
Also known as: 天之御中主神, 天御中主尊, and Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami
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Description
The first kami to exist. When heaven and earth separated from chaos, Ame-no-Minakanushi appeared alone, then immediately concealed himself. No words, no deeds, no form. The Kojiki names him first and never mentions him again.
Mythology & Lore
The First and the Silent
When heaven and earth first separated from primordial chaos and the High Plain of Heaven came into being, a deity appeared. The Kojiki names him Ame-no-Minakanushi (天之御中主神), the "Central Master of Heaven." He came into existence alone, without parent or partner, and then immediately concealed himself. No deeds are attributed to him, no words, no physical form.
After him came Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. These three form the Zōka Sanshin, the Three Deities of Creation. Two more solitary kami followed, completing the five Kotoamatsukami, the Distinguished Heavenly Deities who appeared at the absolute beginning. All five emerged, performed no recorded actions, and concealed themselves.
The Nihon Shoki is sparer still. Ame-no-Minakanushi appears only in certain variant passages, not in the chronicle's main account of creation. The first god in one text is nearly absent from the other.