The red disc on the Japanese flag is her. Amaterasu (天照, "she who illuminates the heavens") is the sun goddess, the supreme kami of Shinto, and the mythical ancestor of the imperial line. Her most famous myth, the one of the cave, is the founding story of Japanese identity: the day light vanished from the world. Here's who she is, where she comes from, and why all of Japan defines itself in relation to her.
Who is Amaterasu?
Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神) is the most important deity in the Shinto pantheon. Her name breaks down into ama (天, heaven) and terasu (照, to shine). She is born of an act of purification: when the god Izanagi returns from Yomi, the land of the dead where he saw the corpse of his wife Izanami, he washes in a river. From his left eye is born Amaterasu, from his right eye Tsukuyomi (the moon), from his nose Susanoo (the storms). Izanagi sends Amaterasu to rule the Takama-ga-hara, the high celestial plain, realm of the kami. She embodies order, light and stability, the opposite of her wild, destructive brother Susanoo. Until 1946, the emperor of Japan was held to be her direct descendant, a living kami; Emperor Hirohito formally renounced this divine status on 1 January 1946.
The cave myth: the day the world went dark
This is the most important story in the Kojiki (古事記, 712). Susanoo, a guest in the celestial realm, behaves like a barbarian: he wrecks the rice paddies, breaks the irrigation channels and flings the corpse of a flayed colt into the sacred weaving hall, killing a maid with terror. Wounded and furious, Amaterasu withdraws into the cave Ame-no-Iwato and blocks the entrance with a boulder. The sun vanishes, the earth plunges into total darkness, the crops die.
The eight million kami (Yaoyorozu no Kami) gather in council before the cave. Their plan is subtle: the goddess Ame-no-Uzume starts to dance, a grotesque, provocative dance that sets the assembly roaring with laughter. Puzzled to hear laughter from a world in darkness, Amaterasu cracks the door open. The kami then present her with a mirror, the Yata no Kagami. Seeing her own reflection, she thinks she glimpses a rival light, and while she hesitates, the god Ame-no-Tajikarao seizes her arm and pulls her out. The light returns.
The three sacred treasures
The cave mirror is one of the three imperial treasures (Sanshu no Jingi), passed down within the imperial family.
The three imperial treasures are:
- Yata no Kagami (mirror): truth and wisdom, kept at Ise Grand Shrine.
- Kusanagi no Tsurugi (sword): courage, kept at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya.
- Yasakani no Magatama (jewel): benevolence, kept at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
The sword came from the tail of the eight-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi, slain by Susanoo. These objects are never shown to the public: at enthronements (the last in 2019 for Emperor Naruhito), they are present but hidden in boxes.
Ise Shrine, Amaterasu's home
The Ise Jingū (Mie prefecture) is Japan's holiest shrine, Amaterasu's dwelling. Its unique feature: it has been rebuilt identically every twenty years (Shikinen Sengū) since the 7th century. The current building dates from 2013, the next will be built in 2033. This perpetual rebuilding symbolises eternal renewal, death and rebirth, the very cycle of the sun. Its architecture, called shinmei-zukuri, is the purest in Shinto: bare cypress wood (hinoki), with no paint or decoration.
Amaterasu, Inari and the Kitsune
The link with the fox isn't direct, but it exists through a divine chain. Amaterasu introduces rice and silk to Japan; the kami Inari protects those domains; the Kitsune is Inari's messenger. The hierarchy thus runs from Amaterasu (sun, order) to Inari (rice, prosperity), then to the fox messenger. That's why white Kitsune masks carry the colour of the sacred: they're linked to the sun by three degrees of separation. For the wider pantheon, see the kami guide.
Read the article about Kitsune · See Kitsune masks
FAQ
Is Amaterasu the most important goddess in Japan?
Yes. She is the supreme kami of Shinto, the sun goddess and mythical ancestor of the imperial family. In the Takama-ga-hara, all other kami are subordinate to her.
Why did Amaterasu hide in a cave?
Her brother Susanoo wrecked her rice paddies and caused the death of a maid. Wounded and angry, she withdrew into the cave Ame-no-Iwato, plunging the world into darkness. The other kami had to trick her out with a dance and a mirror.
Do the three sacred treasures still exist?
Yes. The mirror is at Ise Shrine, the sword at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, the jewel at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. They are never shown to the public, even at enthronements.
What's the link between Amaterasu and the Japanese flag?
The red disc of the Hinomaru is the sun, and so Amaterasu. The country's own name, Nihon (日本), means "origin of the sun." The whole national identity is built on the goddess.