Scholars tend to approach the Kojiki’s myths not as straightforward chronicles, but as layered narratives in which religion, politics, and worldview are tightly interwoven. A central line of interpretation sees the text as a historical-political project: by tracing the imperial lineage back to the sun goddess Amaterasu, the compilers present the Yamato court’s rule as divinely sanctioned and thus beyond ordinary dispute. Deities and genealogies are often read as symbolic representations of clans or regional powers, encoding alliances, rivalries, and the gradual integration of local cults into a central order. In this sense, the mythic fabric becomes a subtle map of early Japanese power structures and social developments, rather than a mere collection of wondrous tales.

At the same time, the Kojiki is interpreted as a religious and cosmological charter that articulates a distinct vision of the sacred. Its stories outline a structured universe of heavenly, earthly, and underworld realms, and they portray a world in which land, lineage, and divinity are inseparable. Episodes of creation, death, and descent into the underworld are read as reflections on the nature of existence and the fragile boundary between purity and pollution. The myths are also seen as encoding core Shinto concepts: the sacredness of natural phenomena, the importance of ritual purity and purification, and the proper relationship between humans and kami.

Many scholars emphasize that the mythic episodes function as explanations for ritual practices, shrine traditions, and taboos that were already established. Narratives of purification, divine descent, and encounters between deities are interpreted as mythic foundations for ceremonies and sacred sites, giving religious practice a storied origin and a cosmological frame. From this perspective, the Kojiki offers not only a vision of how the world came to be, but also why particular rites must be performed in specific ways, and how human communities are to live in harmony with the unseen powers that shape their fate.

Further readings of the Kojiki highlight its value as a window into ancient Japanese culture and consciousness. The myths are treated as reflections of social structures, gender roles, and cultural values, as well as symbolic explorations of themes such as creation, death, and the relationship between humans and the divine. Scholars also attend to the literary construction of the text, examining its narrative techniques, repetitions, and symbolic language to discern how older oral traditions were woven into a coherent written work. In this multifaceted approach, the Kojiki emerges as a carefully crafted synthesis of religious tradition, political vision, and poetic imagination, offering insight into how an early society understood both the visible world and the hidden currents of the sacred.