Ukemochi no Kami

Ukemochi is a food goddess whose death is a foundational myth of agricultural origin. In the Nihon Shoki, Tsukuyomi visited Ukemochi on behalf of Amaterasu. The food goddess produced a feast by turning toward the sea and disgorging fish, turning toward the mountains and emitting game, and turning toward the rice paddies and producing rice. Tsukuyomi found this method of food production repulsive and killed her.

From Ukemochi's corpse grew the five grains: rice from her belly, millet from her forehead, red beans from her genitals, wheat from her eyes, and soybeans from other parts. Silkworms also emerged from her body. Amaterasu, furious at Tsukuyomi, separated from him forever and planted these grains, establishing agriculture.

This 'killed deity' (Hainuwele-type) myth, where a divine being's death produces food crops, is found across Southeast Asian and Oceanic mythologies, suggesting deep cultural connections. The Kojiki tells a parallel story with Ogetsuhime and Susanoo in the roles.