Oyamazumi no Kami

Oyamazumi is one of the most venerable deities in the Shinto pantheon, born from Izanagi and Izanami during the age of creation. As the supreme mountain deity, he presides over the mountains that form the backbone of the Japanese archipelago, and by extension over the waters that flow from them to the sea.

His most significant mythological role is as the father of Konohanasakuya-hime and Iwanagahime. His offer of both daughters to Ninigi, and the fateful rejection of Iwanagahime, established the mythological basis for human mortality. Through Konohanasakuya-hime, Oyamazumi is an ancestor of the imperial lineage.

Oyamatsumi Shrine on Omishima Island in the Seto Inland Sea is his principal shrine and holds one of Japan's most important collections of ancient weapons and armor, donated by warriors seeking the mountain god's blessing in battle. This martial connection expanded during the medieval period as samurai revered him as a protector in warfare.