Amaterasu: the day the sun goddess hid in a cave and Japan went dark
- DAI YOKAI
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
By Jérémy, Dai Yokai founder · @dai.yokai Published: March 2026 · Updated: May 2026
Key takeaways
Amaterasu (天照, "she who illuminates the heavens") is the sun goddess and supreme kami in Shinto
She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the land of the dead (Yomi)
The cave myth (Ame-no-Iwato) is the founding narrative of Japanese identity: when Amaterasu hides, the world plunges into darkness
The mirror used to lure her out (Yata no Kagami) is one of the three sacred treasures of the Japanese emperor, still preserved today
The red disc on the Japanese flag is her
Who is Amaterasu?
Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神) is the sun goddess and the highest-ranking deity in Shinto. Her name breaks down into ama (天, heaven) and terasu (照, to shine). "She who illuminates the heavens."
She was born from an act of purification. When the god Izanagi returned from the Yomi (realm of the dead, where he had seen the decomposing corpse of his wife Izanami, and where Raijin was born), he washed himself in a river to cleanse the death from his body. From his left eye, Amaterasu was born. From his right eye, Tsukuyomi (moon god). From his nose, Susanoo (storm god).
Izanagi sent Amaterasu to rule over the Takama-ga-hara (high celestial plain), the domain of the kami. She is order, light, stability. The opposite of her brother Susanoo: reckless, destructive, unpredictable.
Most importantly: she is the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial line. Until 1946, the Emperor of Japan was considered a direct descendant of Amaterasu, a living kami. Emperor Hirohito officially renounced this divine status on January 1, 1946, under American pressure.
The cave myth: the day the world went dark
This is the most important story in the Kojiki (古事記, 712 CE). The founding narrative.
Susanoo, invited to the celestial domain, behaved like a barbarian: he destroyed Amaterasu's rice paddies, broke the irrigation channels, and hurled a dead colt into the sacred weaving hall. A handmaiden died of fright.
Amaterasu, wounded and furious, withdrew into the cave Ame-no-Iwato and sealed the entrance with an enormous boulder. The sun vanished. The earth plunged into total darkness. Evil spread. Crops died.
The 8 million kami (Yaoyorozu no Kami) assembled in an emergency council outside the cave. Their plan was clever.
The goddess Ame-no-Uzume began to dance at the entrance. Not a solemn dance. A grotesque, comic, provocative dance. She partially undressed. The kami burst into laughter. The noise was so loud that Amaterasu, from inside the cave, wondered how the world could laugh when it was supposed to be in darkness.
She cracked open the door. The kami held up a mirror: the Yata no Kagami. Amaterasu saw her own reflection and believed she was seeing a luminous rival. While she hesitated, the god Ame-no-Tajikarao seized her arm and pulled her out.
Light returned. The world breathed.
The three sacred treasures
The Yata no Kagami mirror (八咫鏡) is one of the three imperial treasures (Sanshu no Jingi) passed down through the imperial family:
Yata no Kagami (mirror): truth, wisdom. Kept at Ise Grand Shrine
Kusanagi no Tsurugi (sword): courage. Extracted from the tail of the 8-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi, killed by Susanoo. Kept at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya
Yasakani no Magatama (jewel): benevolence. Kept at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
These objects are never shown to the public. Their very existence is an act of faith. During enthronement ceremonies (the most recent in 2019 for Emperor Naruhito), the treasures are present but concealed in boxes.
The Japanese flag is Amaterasu
The red disc on white of the Hinomaru (日の丸, "circle of the sun") is not an abstract design. It is the sun. It is Amaterasu. Japan defines itself as Nihon (日本, "origin of the sun"): the land where light comes from. The entire national identity is built on the goddess who almost stopped shining.
Ise Grand Shrine: Amaterasu's home
The Ise Jingū (伊勢神宮) in Mie Prefecture is the most sacred shrine in Japan. It is Amaterasu's home. It has been rebuilt identically every 20 years (Shikinen Sengū) since the 7th century: the current building dates from 2013, the next will be built in 2033. This perpetual reconstruction symbolizes eternal renewal, the cycle of death and rebirth, the cycle of the sun.
Approximately 6 million people visit Ise annually. The architecture is shinmei-zukuri: the purest and oldest form of Shinto architecture. No paint, no decoration. Raw Japanese cypress (hinoki) wood.
Amaterasu and the Kitsune
The connection is not direct but it exists. In Shinto, the Kitsune (fox) is the messenger of Inari. Inari protects rice and silk, two domains Amaterasu introduced to Japan according to mythology. The chain is: Amaterasu (sun, order, harvests) → Inari (rice, prosperity) → Kitsune (Inari's messenger). The fox sits within a divine order of which Amaterasu is the apex. That is why white Kitsune masks carry the color of the sacred: they are linked to the sun by three degrees of separation.
FAQ
Is Amaterasu the most important goddess in Japan?
Yes. She is the supreme kami of Shinto, the sun goddess, and the mythical ancestor of the imperial family. All other kami are hierarchically subordinate in the Takama-ga-hara.
Why did Amaterasu hide in a cave?
Her brother Susanoo destroyed her rice paddies and killed one of her handmaidens. Wounded and angry, she withdrew into the cave Ame-no-Iwato, plunging the world into darkness. The kami had to use trickery (dance, mirror) to lure her out.
Do the three sacred treasures still exist?
Yes. The mirror (Yata no Kagami) is at Ise Grand Shrine, the sword (Kusanagi no Tsurugi) at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, the jewel (Yasakani no Magatama) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. They are never shown to the public.
What is the connection between Amaterasu and the Japanese flag?
The red disc on the Hinomaru is the sun, which is Amaterasu. Japan (Nihon, 日本) means "origin of the sun." The entire national identity is built on the goddess.
Can you visit Ise Grand Shrine?
Yes. Ise Jingū welcomes approximately 6 million visitors annually. Access is free but the most sacred area (shōden) is hidden behind multiple enclosures. You can only see the roof of the main building.