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Yomi orYomi-no-kuni (黄泉, 黄泉の国, or 黄泉ノ国) is theJapanese word for theland of the dead (World of Darkness).[1] According toShinto mythology as related inKojiki, this is where the dead go in theafterlife. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is (mostly) impossible to return to the land of the living.[2] Yomi is most commonly known forIzanami's retreat to that place after her death.Izanagi followed her there and upon his return he washed himself, creatingAmaterasu from his left eye,Susanoo from his nostrils, andTsukuyomi-no-Mikoto from his right eye in the process.[3]
This realm of the dead shares geographical continuity with the living world, where souls "remain eternally in Japan." Yomi cannot be thought of as aparadise to which one would aspire, nor can it appropriately be described as ahell in which one suffers retribution for past deeds; rather, all deceased carry on a gloomy and shadowy existence in perpetuity, regardless of their behavior in life. Some "suggest that the concept of a life after death was not a familiar one to the ancient Japanese and it only took form with the introduction ofBuddhism fromChina in the 6th century CE."[4] Some have called it the "JapaneseUpside Down."[5] Scholars believe that the image of Yomi was derived from ancient Japanese tombs in which corpses were left for some time to decompose.[citation needed]
Thekanji that are sometimes used to transcribeYomi actually refer to the mythological Chinese realm of the dead calledDiyu or Huángquán (黄泉, lit. "Yellow Springs"), which appears in Chinese texts as early as the eighth century BCE.[6] This dark and vaguely defined realm was believed to be located beneath the earth, but it was not until theHan dynasty that the Chinese had a clearly articulated conception of an underworld below in contrast with a heavenly realm above. The characters arejukujikun, i.e. were used without regard to the actual meaning of the word Yomi, which is unknown. With regard to Japanese mythology, Yomi is generally taken by commentators to lie beneath the earth and is part of a triad of locations discussed inKojiki:Takamahara (高天原,also:Takamagahara; lit. "high heavenly plane", located in the sky),Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (葦原の中つ国; lit. "central land of reed plane") located on earth, andYomo-tsu-kuni (黄泉国) orYomi-no-Kuni (黄泉の国; lit. "Land of Yomi") located underground.[7] Yomi has also often been associated with the mythological realm ofNe-no-kuni (根の国; lit. "Root Land / Land of Origin"), also known asNe-no-Katasukuni (根の堅洲国; lit. "firm/hard-packed shoal land of origin").[citation needed]
According to Shinto, Yomi is ruled over byIzanami no Mikoto, the Grand Deity of Yomi (Yomo-tsu-Ōkami黄泉大神). According toKojiki, the entrance to Yomi lies inIzumo province and was sealed off byIzanagi upon his flight from Yomi, at which time he permanently blocked the entrance by placing a massive boulder (Chigaeshi no ōkami道反の大神) at the base of the slope that leads to Yomi (Yomotsu Hirasaka黄泉平坂 or黄泉比良坂).[6] Upon his return to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, Izanagi noted that Yomi is a "polluted land" (kegareki kuni).[8] This opinion reflects the traditionalShinto association between death and pollution,[9] or (kegare). Later Susanoo takes this position over.[citation needed]
SomeJapanese Christian texts use黄泉 to refer to what is calledHell in the English versions. For example,Revelation 6:8.,
そこで見ていると、見よ、青白い馬が出てきた。そして、それに乗っている者の名は「死」と言い、それに黄泉が従っていた。
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him
Sometimes黄泉 meansHades orSheol, whereas地獄 meansGehenna. However陰府 (yomi) is used in some translations.
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