Amaterasu
Amaterasu is the Japanese sun goddess and one of the central deities of Shinto. In myth, her withdrawal into a cave plunges the world into darkness.
Ama-no-Iwato: A cave in Japanese mythology where Amaterasu withdraws, plunging the world into darkness. The cave episode dramatizes the consequences of Amaterasu’s absence from the sky.
Shinto: A Japanese religious tradition centered on kami, ritual practice, and sacred places. Amaterasu is among Shinto’s most prominent kami.
Ise Grand Shrine: A major Shinto shrine complex in Mie Prefecture, Japan, dedicated principally to Amaterasu. Its Inner Shrine is her principal sanctuary.
Imperial House of Japan: Japan’s imperial family, whose traditional genealogy traces descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu. The mythology gives the imperial line a divine ancestry.
Ame-no-Uzume: A Shinto goddess associated with dawn, merriment, and performing arts. Her dance draws Amaterasu out of Ama-no-Iwato.
Izanagi: A creator deity in Japanese mythology who helps form the islands of Japan. Amaterasu is born from Izanagi during his purification after visiting the underworld.
Naikū: The Inner Shrine of Ise Grand Shrine, traditionally dedicated to Amaterasu. Naikū is the central place of worship associated with the goddess.
State Shinto: The state-directed system of shrine institutions and imperial rites in modern Japan before 1945. State institutions elevated Amaterasu and linked her worship to imperial ideology.
Yata no Kagami: A sacred mirror counted among Japan’s Three Imperial Regalia. In the cave myth, its reflection helps lure Amaterasu from hiding.
Izanami: A creator deity in Japanese mythology and Izanagi’s partner in creating the world. Her death and Izanagi’s journey to the underworld precede Amaterasu’s birth.