Who was the first kami to appear in the Kojiki creation myth?

Ame no Minakanushi was the first kami to appear in the Kojiki creation myth.

The Kojiki, compiled around 712 CE, begins with heaven and earth emerging from a primeval, undifferentiated state. Ame no Minakanushi appears first in Takamagahara, the heavenly realm, followed by Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. These three are known collectively as the Zōka Sanshin, or “Three Deities of Creation.”

Ame no Minakanushi is described as a solitary kami who came into being alone and then concealed his form. The name is often translated as “Lord of the August Center of Heaven.” This figure should not be confused with Amaterasu, who becomes central later in the mythology, or Izanagi and Izanami, the divine pair associated with creating the Japanese islands.

The answer is specific to the Kojiki. In the Nihon Shoki’s main creation narrative, Kuni-no-Tokotachi is instead presented as the first kami, which explains why different references can give different answers to a broader question about Japanese creation myths.