While I was looking up Japanese history quite a while back, I came across the Shimane Kodai Bunka centre and its small online library. Apparently, the prefecture of Shimane provides a free PDF ebook (link to download page) called いずも神話/Izumo Shinwa and it’s perfect for people who are learning Japanese and/or who know Japanese and want to read more about Japanese culture!

Izumo Shinwa consists of eight tales – three from the Kojiki (古事記) and three from Izumo no Kuni Fudoki (出雲国風土記). The Kojiki is a collection of myths, legends, traditions, and other accounts of the origin of Japan, its gods, and its royal family. The compilation of the Kojiki started informally in the 6th century, but the form we have now was compiled by O no Yasumaro between 711 (asked to start work) and 712 (presented to Empress Genmei). The Izumo no Kuni Fudoki is a collection of myths specifically relating to Izumo and was compiled around 733. As such, this collection of tales reaches deep into the depths of Japanese history and allows the reader to learn more about the myths that form the basis of Japanese culture.

Since this was originally written for children, the language is simple and suitable for those who are learning the language. There are furigana over the kanji, which will also help in reading. After each tale, there’s also a page or two that discusses the tale in more detail.

This is honestly a great resource for those who are studying Japanese and want to practice reading in the language (assuming you have a dictionary). If you’re fluent, the material won’t challenge you as much, but I think it’s still interesting to read about Japanese mythology and gain a deeper appreciation of it.