{"id":1159,"date":"2026-08-14T10:14:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T10:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/?p=1159"},"modified":"2026-08-14T10:14:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T10:14:32","slug":"susanoo-no-mikoto-storm-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/susanoo-no-mikoto-storm-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Susanoo no Mikoto: Japan’s Storm God and the Serpent He Killed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Susanoo facing the eight-forked serpent in Izumo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Susanoo no Mikoto (\u9808\u4f50\u4e4b\u7537\u547d) is the Japanese god of storms and the sea, a Shinto kami born from the nose of the creator god Izanagi<\/a> and thrown out of heaven for wrecking his sister’s rice fields. He is the deity who killed Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed serpent, and pulled the sword Kusanagi out of its tail. In Izumo the same god becomes a husband, a poet, and the ancestor of the ruler of the land.<\/p>\n

Susanoo is also the kami the sources agree on least. In heaven he is a vandal who howls for his dead mother until the mountains dry up. In Izumo he is a dragon-slayer who governs well. Kokugakuin University’s Encyclopedia of Shinto<\/a> puts the contradiction plainly: disruptive in the heavenly realms, yet in Izumo the god who brought orderly rule to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Susanoo no Mikoto<\/th>\nDetail<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Domain<\/td>\nStorms, wind, rain and the sea<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japanese name<\/td>\n\u9808\u4f50\u4e4b\u7537\u547d (Kojiki), \u7d20\u6214\u55da\u5c0a (Nihon Shoki)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parents<\/td>\nIzanagi alone in the Kojiki, Izanagi and Izanami in the Nihon Shoki<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Siblings<\/td>\nAmaterasu, the sun, and Tsukuyomi, the moon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best known myth<\/td>\nKilling Yamata no Orochi, the eight-forked serpent, in Izumo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weapon and prize<\/td>\nA ten-span sword, and Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi taken from the serpent’s tail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wives<\/td>\nKushinadahime, and Kamuoichihime<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Notable descendant<\/td>\nOkuninushi, ruler of the land<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alternate identity<\/td>\nGozu Tenno, the Ox-Headed Heavenly King<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chief shrines<\/td>\nYasaka Shrine (Kyoto), Susa and Suga Shrines (Shimane), Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primary sources<\/td>\nKojiki (around 712), Nihon Shoki, Izumo Fudoki<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Table of Contents<\/p>\nToggle<\/span><\/path><\/svg><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n