According to Shinto myth, who was the first emperor of Japan?

According to Shinto myth, the first emperor of Japan was Emperor Jimmu.

Emperor Jimmu, also called Kamu-yamato-Iware-biko, is presented as Japan’s first emperor in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The traditional account says he began his eastward expedition from Kyushu, overcame opposition in the Yamato region, and established his capital at Kashihara. His traditional accession date is 660 BCE.

The mythology gives Jimmu a divine ancestry. He is described as a descendant of Amaterasu through her grandson Ninigi, connecting the imperial line to the heavenly kami. This genealogy helped explain the sacred legitimacy traditionally attributed to Japan’s imperial house.

The wording “according to Shinto myth” matters. Modern historians generally regard Jimmu as legendary and find no reliable evidence that he existed as described. The dates assigned to his reign are also treated as traditional rather than historical. Emperor Kinmei, who reigned in the sixth century CE, is often identified as the first emperor for whom substantial historical evidence exists, while earlier rulers remain debated.