Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大御神), “the Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven,” is the supreme goddess of the Shintō pantheon and the embodiment of the sun itself. She is the daughter of Izanagi, born when the creator god purified himself after returning from the underworld. Her light governs both the heavens and the harmony of the world below, and she dwells in Takamagahara, the High Plain of Heaven, ruling alongside her divine kin, the kami.
Amaterasu’s symbols include the mirror, the sun disk, and the Yata no Kagami, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, along with the sword Kusanagi and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. Her sacred animals are the rooster, whose crow heralds dawn, and the white horse used in shrine processions. The Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture is her principal sanctuary, tended by the Imperial family’s descendants, who trace their lineage to her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto.
Amaterasu represents purity, order, and the renewing light of truth. Yet her most famous myth, her withdrawal into the heavenly cave, reveals that even divine light can retreat when the world succumbs to violence and discord.
Mythic Story: The Cave of the Hidden Sun
In the age before men, when the world was young and the realms of gods and earth were still intertwined, the sun goddess Amaterasu ruled the heavens. Her golden radiance nurtured rice fields, seas, and mountains alike. But her younger brother, Susano-o-no-Mikoto, the storm god, was wild in heart, howling winds his breath, his temper as fierce as the sea he governed.
When Izanagi divided their realms, Susano-o raged at being banished to the lower world. In his anger, he stormed into Takamagahara to bid his sister farewell, but his arrival was violent and unrestrained. Mountains quaked, rivers rose, and the fields of heaven lay in ruin. To test his intentions, Amaterasu proposed a sacred challenge: they would each birth new deities as proof of purity. From his sword she produced three radiant goddesses, while from her jewels Susano-o created five bold gods. But victory only fed his pride.
Susano-o’s madness grew. He tore down her rice fields, hurled a flayed horse into her weaving hall, and slew one of her attendants. Horror and grief overcame Amaterasu. Unable to bear such desecration, she fled from heaven’s brilliance and sealed herself within the Ama-no-Iwatō, the “Heavenly Rock Cave.”
The moment the cave door closed, the light of the world vanished. Darkness fell upon all realms, heaven, earth, and the underworld. Crops withered, rivers froze, and demons roamed in the gloom. The other gods, bereft of her light, gathered near the sealed cave, weeping and confused.
At last, wise Omoikane, the deity of thought and counsel, devised a plan to lure the sun back. The gods adorned the trees before the cave with sacred jewels and a brilliant mirror. They called upon Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of mirth and dawn, to dance before the stone door.
Uzume overturned a tub, placed it before the cave, and began to dance upon it. She sang and stamped, letting her sleeves fall from her shoulders in wild rhythm. The eight hundred myriad gods laughed so loudly that the heavens shook. Curiosity stirred within Amaterasu; she wondered how joy could exist without her light.
Peering through a small crack in the stone, she asked, “Why do you rejoice?” The gods replied, “We celebrate a new sun goddess, more radiant than you.”
Startled, Amaterasu demanded to see her rival. At that moment, the mirror was lifted before the entrance, catching her reflection. For the first time, she beheld her own brilliance. Dazzled and drawn by wonder, she stepped forward.
Swiftly, Ame-no-Tajikara-o, the strong-armed god, seized the cave door and flung it open. Radiance burst forth, flooding heaven and earth. The gods shouted in triumph, restraining Susano-o and banishing him from Takamagahara. The world awakened to dawn once more, the first sunrise after the darkness.
From then on, Amaterasu reigned in calm majesty, her light crossing the seas and mountains of the human world. She sent her grandson Ninigi to earth bearing the mirror, jewel, and sword—the sacred emblems of her divine authority. His descendants, the emperors of Japan, would rule in her name, carrying her light into the mortal realm.
Thus the tale of the cave became a myth of renewal: that when the light of truth hides, it can be restored only through harmony, celebration, and collective joy.
“She entered the cave and closed its door; the Sun did not shine for a long while…”
– Kojiki, trans. Chamberlain (1882)
Discover the gods, goddesses, and divine spirits who ruled the heavens and shaped human fate
Author’s Note
Amaterasu’s retreat into darkness mirrors the human condition, the withdrawal of light, order, and understanding in times of chaos. Her return, lured by laughter and reflection, reveals that illumination is not seized by force but invited by harmony. The gods’ dance around the sealed cave is a reminder that even in despair, reverence, beauty, and joy can restore balance. The myth endures as a metaphor for renewal: when we rediscover our inner light, the world brightens with us.
Knowledge Check
Q1. Title: Who is Amaterasu in Shintō mythology?
A: She is the sun goddess and supreme deity of the Shintō pantheon, ruler of heaven and ancestor of Japan’s imperial line.
Q2. Title: What caused Amaterasu to hide in the cave?
A: Her brother Susano-o’s violent desecration of heaven’s fields and halls drove her into grief and withdrawal.
Q3. Title: What happened when Amaterasu hid herself?
A: The world was plunged into total darkness, halting life and disrupting divine order.
Q4. Title: How did the gods lure Amaterasu out of the cave?
A: With a mirror, sacred ornaments, and the joyful dance of the goddess Ame-no-Uzume, which stirred her curiosity.
Q5. Title: What sacred object represents Amaterasu’s power?
A: The mirror Yata no Kagami, one of Japan’s Three Sacred Treasures, symbolizes her light and truth.
Q6. Title: What moral lesson does the myth teach?
A: Light returns through unity and joy; harmony restores what anger and sorrow conceal.
Source: Kojiki (712 CE) & Nihon Shoki (720 CE), Japan.
Cultural Origin: Shintō Mythology, Yamato Japan.
