Tales From the KOJIKI 2
Yomi: The Land of the Dead
Beyond creating the mein islands of Japan, Izanagi and Izanami also gave birth to a host of other deities. During this process the last of these, Honoyagihayao-no-kami (Honokagutsuchi-no-kami), the fire deity, caused Izanami's genitalia to be horriby burned. In her ensuing agnoy, she vomitted and reliieved herself, and for vomit, urine and feces were born various other gods before she tragically died of her terrible injuries.
Izanagi burned her on Mt. Hiba on the border between the land of Izumo and Hoki. Mad with grief, Izanagi then used his ten-hand long sword to cut down the fire god, and the blood that dripped from or adhered to different parts of the sword gave birth to yet eight more new dieties.
Still, Izanagi's grief was not assuaged, and he himself went to the Land f Yomi in search of his wife. When he found her, he said to her, "Our task of land-building is not yet complete, you must come back with me.
Izanami, in turn, replied, "Please wait since I must consult with the gods of Yomi." She then retired further into the depths and din not return. Tired of waiting, Izanagi too entered far into the depths of Yomi, where he was shocked to see that Izanami's corpse was already swarming with maggots, from which eight types of thunder gods were being born. Totally shaken by this awful sight, Izanagi sought to return to the surface as fast as he could, but filled with incredible shame Izanami dispatched the "hags of Yomi," the eight thunder gods and ahost of warriors to catch up with him.
When Izanagi reached the foot of Yomotsuhira Slope, which marked the borderline between Yomi and the world of the living, Izanami caught up with him and spoke as follows, "Oh beloved husband, if you act this way, then each day I will strangle to death one thousand people in your country." Izanagi replied, "Oh beloved wife, if you do that, I shall each day cause 1,500 babies to be born." He then returned to the world of the living, a chastened and grief-stricken god, more greatly aware of the fundamental truth of birth, life and death.