Amaterasu Omikami, which means ‘the Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven,’ is the sun goddess and a key figure in Shintoism. She reigns over Takama no Hara (the High Celestial Plain), where the kami, or spirits, reside. The most significant Shinto shrine in Japan, the Ise Grand Shrine (Jingu), is dedicated to her.
Also referred to as Oho-hir-me-no-muchi or Amaterasu-oho-hiru-me, Amaterasu is the daughter of Izanami and Izanagi, who appointed her as the ruler of the sky. After her father Izanagi returned from the underworld, he performed a purification ritual in the Woto River, during which Amaterasu emerged from his left eye. She is also the older sister of Susanoo (or Susa-no-wo), the storm god. Amaterasu often found herself in disputes with her playful younger brother, and eventually, she decided to banish him from heaven.
Amaterasu & the Cave
One of the most famous stories about Amaterasu involves her retreating into a cave after a disagreement with Susanoo. He startled her while she was peacefully weaving with her younger sister, Waka-hiru-me, by presenting her with a terrifying flayed horse. As a result of Amaterasu hiding away, the world was plunged into darkness, allowing evil spirits to roam freely. The other gods tried various methods to coax her out of the cave. Following Omohi-Kane’s suggestion, they placed roosters outside in hopes that their crowing would make Amaterasu believe dawn had arrived. They also set up a beautiful sakaki tree near the cave entrance, adorning it with sparkling jewels, fine white garments, and a mirror at its center. Additionally, the goddess Amenouzume (or Ama-no-Uzeme) performed a lively dance, complete with a striptease, which made the other gods laugh heartily. Their joy piqued Amaterasu’s curiosity, and as she peeked out to see what was happening, she caught sight of her own stunning reflection in the mirror. At that moment, the strong god Ame-no-tajikara-wo pulled her out of the cave, while Tuto-Tamu held a braided straw pole behind her, declaring that she could no longer hide. With that, the world was once again illuminated by her brilliant sunlight.
Amaterasu’s son, Ama-no-Oshiho-mimi, was asked by his mother to take charge of the earthly realm. However, when he stood on Ama-no-hashidate, the bridge connecting heaven and earth, he saw the chaos among the earthly deities and stubbornly turned down the position. In response, Amaterasu sought advice from Taka-mi-Musubi, leading to a gathering of all the gods. They decided to send Ama-no-Hoki to earth to evaluate the situation. After three years without any updates from him, another council was held. This time, they sent Ame-waka-hiko with his divine bow and arrows. Unfortunately, he too got sidetracked when he fell in love with Shita-teru-hime, the daughter of Oho-kuni-nushi, completely forgetting his mission. After eight long years without news, the gods dispatched the pheasant Na-naki-me to locate Ame-waka-hiko. However, upon seeing the pheasant, Ame-waka-hiko mistook it for a bad sign and shot it with one of his arrows. The divine arrow went straight through the pheasant and soared up to heaven, landing at the feet of Taka-mi-Musubi. Unimpressed, Taka-mi-Musubi tossed the arrow back down to earth, where it tragically struck Ame-waka-hiko in the chest, killing him instantly.
Ruling the Underworld
Due to these events, a third council of the gods was convened. They decided to send Take-mika-zuchi, the thunder god, along with Futsu-nushi, the fire god, both armed with their swords, to negotiate with Oho-kuni-nushi, the ruler of the earth. Their goal was to persuade him to acknowledge Amaterasu’s claim to sovereignty over both the earth and heaven. Oho-kuni-nushi, understandably hesitant to relinquish his power without a struggle, sought advice from his two sons. The eldest, Koto-shiro-nushi, suggested that his father should yield peacefully, while the younger son, Take-minakata, urged him to resist. In a misguided attempt to fight, Take-minakata challenged Take-mika-zuchi but quickly found himself outmatched by the thunder god and was easily defeated. Realizing he had no chance of winning, Oho-kuni-nushi graciously conceded sovereignty to Amaterasu and chose to rule the underworld instead.
More Affairs
The Imperial Regalia of Japan
Now that everything was finally settled below, Amaterasu once again asked her son Ama-no-Oshiho-mimi to take charge of the earth. For the second time, he declined but suggested his son, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, instead. Amaterasu agreed and presented Ninigi with three special gifts to aid him on his journey. These gifts included the Yasakani, a jewel (or pearls) that had been the cause of an ancient dispute between Amaterasu and Susanoo; Yata, the mirror from the cave story; and Kusanagi, the sword that Susanoo had taken from a monster’s tail. These items would become known as the three symbols of Ninigi’s authority (sanshu no jingi) and later transformed into the imperial regalia of his descendants, the emperors of Japan. In fact, the very first Japanese emperor, Jimmu (who reigned from 660-585 BCE), was believed to be a direct descendant of Amaterasu. This belief allowed future emperors to also claim divine lineage, granting them absolute power.
Amaterasu & the Nobility
The Japanese nobility also traced their lineage back to the goddess, who, before the cave incident, took Susanoo’s sword, shattered it into three pieces, consumed them, and then regurgitated them as three female deities. In a similar manner, Susanoo took his sister’s necklace of 500 jewels, ate them, and then released them as a mist that transformed into five male deities. Together, these eight deities were considered the ancestors of the Japanese aristocracy.
How is Amaterasu Represented in Art?
In Japanese art, the goddess is often shown as a kind and gentle figure, frequently depicted sitting back to back with her brother, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, who is the god of the moon. Roosters are linked to her because they announce the arrival of the sun, just like the raven (yata garasu), which is thought to be her messenger. The Ise Shrine, known as Jingu, is the most significant Shinto shrine in Japan and is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami. There, the goddess is represented by one of her symbols—a special octagonal mirror called (yata kayami).
