Standing on the bridge of heaven, the two deities, Izanagi and Izanami, looked down upon the great ocean. Izanagi dipped his jeweled spear in the water, and as he lifted it, salt water dropped from the point and solidified, to form the first of the islands of Japan. Izanagi and Izanami descended to the new land, married, and began to people heaven and earth. By washing his left eye, Izanagi produced the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu O-mikami. She took over the rule of heaven and passed earth over to her grandson and his descendants, the Emperors of Japan.
Thus Japan's primitive folk religion...
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