Who is Amaterasu? Guide to the Japanese Sun Goddess

Q: What are the Three Sacred Treasures?

The Three Sacred Treasures (Sanshu no Jingi) are the imperial regalia of Japan, given by Amaterasu to her grandson Ninigi when he descended from heaven. They are: Yata no Kagami (the mirror used to lure Amaterasu from the cave, kept at the Grand Shrine of Ise), Kusanagi no Tsurugi (a sword taken from the body of the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi, kept at the Atsuta Shrine), and Yasakani no Magatama (a curved jewel or beads, kept at the Imperial Palace). The regalia have been used in imperial enthronement ceremonies for over a thousand years.

Q: Why is the Ise Shrine rebuilt every twenty years?

The ritual is called Shikinen Sengu. It has been performed since the seventh century CE, making it one of the world's oldest continuous religious rituals. The rebuilding preserves the ancient architectural forms exactly - each iteration is built to the same specifications, using the same construction techniques, allowing the traditional knowledge to be passed from generation to generation of shrine carpenters. It is also a spiritual practice: the constant renewal reflects a Shinto conception of purity, in which the divine presence dwells most fully in what is new and unblemished. The most recent rebuilding was completed in 2013.

Amaterasu is the sun goddess of Japan and the central deity of Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion. Her cave-hiding once plunged the world into darkness. Her grandson Ninigi descended from heaven to rule Japan, and every Japanese emperor since has traced descent from her. Her principal shrine at Ise is rebuilt every twenty years - a practice continuous for over a thousand years and one of the world’s most sustained religious rituals. Her worship is active today, not historical. What follows is a guide to Amaterasu as she is preserved in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the two oldest Japanese chronicles, and as she continues to be honoured in Shinto practice.

Key Takeaways

Amaterasu (full name Amaterasu Omikami) is the central deity of Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion, and the personified sun.
Her name means “the great goddess who shines in the heavens” (ama, “heaven”; terasu, “shining”).
She is the daughter of the creator gods Izanagi and Izanami, and sister to Susanoo (the storm god) and Tsukuyomi (the moon god).
Her most famous story is the cave episode: after being tormented by her brother Susanoo, she hid in a cave and plunged the world into darkness until the other kami lured her out.
Her grandson Ninigi descended from heaven to Japan and became the ancestor of Jimmu, the mythological first emperor - making Amaterasu the divine ancestress of the Japanese imperial family.
Her principal shrine, the Grand Shrine of Ise (Ise Jingu), is one of the most sacred sites in Shinto and has been rebuilt every twenty years for over a millennium.
Amaterasu is not a historical or purely literary figure. She is a living object of religious worship in Shinto, with active shrines, festivals, and rites conducted today across Japan.

Who is Amaterasu?

Amaterasu is the sun goddess of Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan. She is the most exalted of the Shinto kami (the sacred spirits or deities), and the ancestress from whom the Japanese imperial family traces its descent.

Definition - Amaterasu

The Japanese sun goddess and central deity of Shinto. Her full name is Amaterasu Omikami, “the great goddess who shines in the heavens.” She is the daughter of the creator gods Izanagi and Izanami, sister of Susanoo and Tsukuyomi, and the divine ancestress of the Japanese imperial line. Her principal shrine is the Grand Shrine of Ise.

Her name breaks down transparently. Ama is “heaven” (as in Amaterasu’s realm, the Takamagahara or “high plain of heaven”). Terasu is a verb meaning “to shine” or “to illuminate.” Omikami means “great deity.” Amaterasu Omikami is literally “the heaven-illuminating great deity.” Her domain is the sun itself, and her light is the light of the physical sun as much as it is a metaphor.

Shinto is a living religion, actively practiced across Japan and in Japanese communities globally. Amaterasu is worshipped today. Ceremonies dedicated to her continue at Ise and thousands of other shrines. Her cave-hiding story is not merely ancient literature; it is the reference point for the Kagura dances performed at Shinto shrines, which reenact the dance Ame-no-Uzume performed to lure Amaterasu out of her cave.

The birth of Amaterasu

Amaterasu was born during the creation of Japan by the primordial couple Izanagi and Izanami. After Izanami died giving birth to the fire-god Kagu-tsuchi, Izanagi descended to the underworld (Yomi) to retrieve her, failed, and returned to the world to purify himself. During his purification in a river, three great kami were born from him: Amaterasu from his left eye, Tsukuyomi (the moon-god) from his right eye, and Susanoo (the storm-god) from his nose.

Izanagi assigned each of the three a realm. Amaterasu received the Takamagahara, the high plain of heaven. Tsukuyomi received the realm of night. Susanoo received the seas.

Amaterasu ruled the heavens well. Susanoo, dissatisfied with the seas, wept for his mother, threw tantrums, and was eventually banished. On his way to exile, he stopped to say farewell to Amaterasu - an encounter that led to their most consequential conflict. Read the creation of Japan by Izanagi and Izanami and the tale of Izanami in Yomi the underworld.

The cave of heaven: Amaterasu’s most famous story

The single most consequential story about Amaterasu is her withdrawal into the cave of heaven, Ame-no-Iwato.

Susanoo, visiting Amaterasu to say farewell before his exile, behaved increasingly badly. He broke down the boundaries between her rice paddies. He filled her sacred hall with excrement. He killed one of her attendants by throwing a flayed horse through the roof of her weaving-hall while she was weaving. Amaterasu, appalled and afraid, retreated into the cave Ame-no-Iwato and sealed the entrance with a great stone.

The world went dark. Without her light, crops failed, evil spirits emerged, and the ordinary order of things collapsed.

The eight million kami of heaven assembled outside the cave to devise a plan. They set up an iwaisukuri (a sacred pole) with a mirror hanging from its branches. They arranged jewels along its length. They brought a rooster to crow (to imitate dawn). Then the goddess Ame-no-Uzume performed a wild, ecstatic, comic dance on an overturned tub, exposing her body to the assembled kami, who roared with laughter.

Amaterasu, hearing the laughter, was curious. She opened the cave slightly to see what was happening. She was told that a greater goddess than herself had arrived. She looked out and saw her own reflection in the mirror - a face she had never seen before, since she was the sun. The strong god Ame-no-Tajikarao seized her hand and pulled her out. Another kami sealed the cave behind her. The world was lit again. Read Amaterasu hides in a cave, the story of the rock cave of heaven, the story of Amaterasu and the sacred mirror, and the tale of Ame-no-Uzume’s dance.

The mirror used to lure Amaterasu out - Yata no Kagami - became one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, still kept (according to tradition) at the Grand Shrine of Ise. The story of the cave is reenacted in Kagura dances performed at Shinto shrines today.

Amaterasu and the Japanese imperial line

Amaterasu is the ancestress of the Japanese imperial family. This is a central tenet of Shinto and, historically, a central tenet of the Japanese state until 1946.

The lineage runs as follows. Amaterasu had a son, Ame-no-Oshihomimi. His son was Ninigi. Amaterasu commanded Ninigi to descend from heaven to rule Japan, and gave him the Three Sacred Treasures (the mirror Yata no Kagami, the sword Kusanagi, and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama) as symbols of his authority. Ninigi descended to Mount Takachiho in Kyushu. His great-grandson was Jimmu, the mythological first emperor of Japan, whose accession in 660 BCE is traditionally the founding date of the Japanese state.

Every subsequent emperor of Japan, in the tradition’s account, traces direct descent from Amaterasu through Jimmu. This makes Amaterasu the ancestress not only of the imperial line but, by extension, of the Japanese people. Read the descent of Ninigi, the legend of Jimmu, and the legend of the sacred regalia of Japan.

The imperial claim of divine descent from Amaterasu was central to Japanese state ideology until the end of World War II. In 1946, Emperor Hirohito formally renounced any claim to divinity in the Ningen-sengen declaration. Amaterasu’s status as ancestress of the imperial line continues in Shinto religious tradition, but is no longer a matter of official state doctrine.

The Grand Shrine of Ise

Amaterasu’s principal shrine is the Ise Jingu (Grand Shrine of Ise), located in Mie Prefecture. It is the most sacred site in Shinto.

The shrine complex houses the sacred mirror Yata no Kagami, said to be the one used to lure Amaterasu from the cave. Only the emperor, certain members of the imperial family, and specific priests are permitted to see it - and even they only under strict ritual conditions.

The main shrine buildings are rebuilt every twenty years in a ceremony called Shikinen Sengu. Identical shrines are constructed on adjacent plots of ground, and the deity is ceremonially moved from the old shrine to the new. The old shrine is then dismantled and its materials distributed to other shrines. This practice has continued since the seventh century CE, making it one of the world’s oldest continuous religious rituals. The most recent rebuilding was completed in 2013; the next is scheduled for 2033. Read the legend of the Ise Grand Shrine and the legend of the Ise Jingu renewal.

Amaterasu compared to other sun deities

Amaterasu is unusual for being female among the world’s principal solar deities.

Tradition	Sun deity	Gender	Notes
Japanese	Amaterasu	Female	Central deity of Shinto; ancestress of imperial line
Egyptian	Ra	Male	King of the gods
Greek	Helios	Male	Titan; later merged with Apollo
Roman	Sol / Apollo	Male	Sol Invictus a late state cult
Vedic Hindu	Surya	Male	Still worshipped
Aztec	Tonatiuh	Male	Requires human sustenance
Norse	Sol (Sunna)	Female	Personification of the sun

The gendering of the sun as female (with the moon as male) is a pattern the Japanese tradition shares with the Norse and a few others, but it is not the most common configuration globally. In many Indo-European traditions the sun is male. The Japanese arrangement - Amaterasu (sun) female, Tsukuyomi (moon) male - reflects an older layer of Northeast Asian religious tradition that also survives in some Siberian and Korean folk traditions.

Read the stories

Amaterasu appears throughout the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Some entry points:

Amaterasu is the goddess Japan placed at the centre of its religion, its imperial mythology, and its national identity. She is not a distant figure. Her cave is reopened symbolically every day at dawn. Her shrine is rebuilt every twenty years. Her descendants sat on the throne of Japan for more than two millennia. She is the sun, and in the Japanese tradition, she has never stopped being it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amaterasu the goddess of?

Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun in Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion. She is not merely the deity who governs the sun; she is the sun itself, personified. She is also the ancestress of the Japanese imperial family and one of the central figures of Japanese religious and cultural identity.

Is Amaterasu still worshipped today?

Yes. Amaterasu is a living object of religious worship in Shinto. Her principal shrine at Ise (Ise Jingu) conducts regular ceremonies. Thousands of subsidiary shrines throughout Japan and in Japanese diaspora communities honour her. Her worship is not historical or purely literary; it is contemporary religious practice for millions of Shinto adherents.

What is the story of Amaterasu and the cave?

After being tormented by her brother Susanoo (who broke her sacred boundaries, defiled her hall, and killed one of her attendants), Amaterasu withdrew into the cave Ame-no-Iwato and sealed the entrance. The world went dark. The other kami assembled outside and devised a plan: they placed a mirror on a sacred pole, arranged jewels, and had the goddess Ame-no-Uzume perform a wild dance that made all the kami laugh. Amaterasu, curious, opened the cave slightly. She saw her own reflection in the mirror - a face she had never seen - and was drawn out. The strong god Ame-no-Tajikarao pulled her fully out, and the cave was sealed behind her. Light returned to the world.

What are the Three Sacred Treasures?

The Three Sacred Treasures (Sanshu no Jingi) are the imperial regalia of Japan, given by Amaterasu to her grandson Ninigi when he descended from heaven. They are: Yata no Kagami (the mirror used to lure Amaterasu from the cave, kept at the Grand Shrine of Ise), Kusanagi no Tsurugi (a sword taken from the body of the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi, kept at the Atsuta Shrine), and Yasakani no Magatama (a curved jewel or beads, kept at the Imperial Palace). The regalia have been used in imperial enthronement ceremonies for over a thousand years.

Yes, in the tradition. The Japanese imperial family traces its descent from Amaterasu through her grandson Ninigi and his great-grandson Jimmu, the mythological first emperor. Every subsequent emperor, in Shinto tradition, is a direct descendant of Amaterasu. The claim of imperial divinity was central to Japanese state ideology until Emperor Hirohito formally renounced any claim to divine descent in 1946, but Amaterasu’s role as ancestress of the imperial line remains part of Shinto religious tradition.

Why is the Ise Shrine rebuilt every twenty years?

The ritual is called Shikinen Sengu. It has been performed since the seventh century CE, making it one of the world’s oldest continuous religious rituals. The rebuilding preserves the ancient architectural forms exactly - each iteration is built to the same specifications, using the same construction techniques, allowing the traditional knowledge to be passed from generation to generation of shrine carpenters. It is also a spiritual practice: the constant renewal reflects a Shinto conception of purity, in which the divine presence dwells most fully in what is new and unblemished. The most recent rebuilding was completed in 2013.

What is the difference between Amaterasu and Susanoo?

They are siblings, both born from Izanagi during his purification after returning from the underworld. Amaterasu came from his left eye, Susanoo from his nose. Amaterasu was given the heavens to rule; Susanoo the seas. Their personalities are opposite: Amaterasu is orderly, luminous, and rules well. Susanoo is turbulent, disruptive, and difficult. Their conflict - especially Susanoo’s tormenting Amaterasu, which drove her into the cave - is one of the central dramas of Japanese mythology.