Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
| Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto | |
|---|---|
God of the moon | |
Woodblock print of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto | |
| Other names | Tsukuyomi (ツクヨミ, 月読), Tsukiyomi (ツキヨミ), 月読尊、月弓尊、月夜見尊、月讀尊 |
| Planet | Moon |
| Region | Japan |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Izanagi (Kojiki) Izanagi and Izanami (Nihon Shoki) |
| Siblings | Amaterasu Susanoo (and others) |
| Consort | Amaterasu (some myths) |
| Part of a series on |
| Shinto |
|---|
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (ツクヨミノミコト, 月読命), or simply Tsukuyomi (ツクヨミ, 月読) or Tsukiyomi (ツキヨミ), is the moon kami in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name "Tsukuyomi" is a compound of the Old Japanese words tsuku (月; "moon, month", becoming modern Japanese tsuki) and yomi (読み; "reading, counting"). The Nihon Shoki mentions this name spelled as Tsukuyumi (月弓; "moon bow"), but this yumi is likely a variation in pronunciation of yomi. An alternative interpretation is that his name is a combination of tsukiyo (月夜; "moonlit night") and mi (見; "looking, watching"). -no-Mikoto is a common honorific appended to the names of Kami; it may be understood as similar to the English honorific 'the Great'.
In Man'yōshū, Tsukuyomi's name is sometimes rendered as Tsukuyomi Otoko (月讀壮士; "moon-reading man"), implying that he is male.