Wakumusubi (ワクムスビ)

Wakumusubi is the god of grain and sericulture, appearing in Japanese mythology. Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) describes him as 和久産巣日神 (Wakumusubi no Kami) while Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) describes him as 稚産霊 (Wakumusubi).

In Kojiki, at the creation of deities, he was born from the urine of Izanami (the Shinto goddess who gave birth to Japan), who got burnt and fell ill after giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. Toyouke-bime was born between Wakumusubi and Mitsuhanome, the god of water, who was also born from the same urine.

In Arufumi Vol. 2 (supplement volumes of explanatory notes in Nihonshoki), just before Izanami's death after giving birth to Kagutsuchi, she produced Haniyama-hime, the god of soil; Wakumusubi was born between Haniyama-hime and Kagutsuchi. At his birth, silkworms and mulberry leaves appeared on his head, and the five main cereals were produced in his navel, so he was regarded as the god of food-origin stories in the Japanese mythology such as Ogetsu-hime in Kojiki and Ukemochi in Nihonshoki.

The word 'Waku' used in his name means youthfulness, and 'Musubi' means creation, signifying the god of governing grain growth. He is worshiped as the god of the five main cereals and sericulture, and often enshrined together with other gods of food. He is enshrined in the Atago-jinja Shrine (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), the Takekoma-jinja Shrine (Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture), the Asakakunitsuko-jinja Shrine (Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture), and the Makata-jinja Shrine (Daikata, Narita City, Chiba Prefecture).

[Original Japanese]