Amaterasu
Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神, 天照大神), often called Amaterasu for short, also known as Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (大日孁貴神), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (kami) of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the Kojiki (c. 712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), as the ruler (or one of the rulers) of the heavenly realm Takamagahara and the mythical ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan via her grandson Ninigi. Along with her siblings, the moon deity Tsukuyomi and the impetuous storm god Susanoo, she is considered to be one of the "Three Precious Children" (三貴子, mihashira no uzu no miko / sankishi), the three most important offspring of the creator god Izanagi.
| Amaterasu | |
|---|---|
Amaterasu emerging from the cave, Ama-no-Iwato, to which she once retreated (detail of woodblock print by Kunisada) | |
| Other names | Amaterasu-Ōmikami (天照大御神, 天照大神) Amaterasu Ōkami (天照大神) Amaterasu Sume(ra) Ōmikami (天照皇大神) Amaterashimasu Sume(ra) Ōmikami (天照坐皇大御神) Amaterasu Ōhirume no Mikoto (天照大日孁尊) Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (大日孁貴神) Ōhirume no Mikoto (大日孁尊) Hi no Kami (日神) Tsukisakaki Izu no Mitama Amazakaru Mukatsuhime no Mikoto (撞賢木厳之御魂天疎向津媛命) Tenshō Kōtaijin (天照皇大神) Tenshō Daijin (天照大神) |
| Planet | Sun |
| Texts | Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Sendai Kuji Hongi |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Izanagi (Kojiki) Izanagi and Izanami (Nihon Shoki) |
| Siblings | Tsukuyomi Susanoo (and others) |
| Consort | Tsukuyomi (some myths). |
| Children | Ame-no-Oshihomimi Ame no Hohi Amatsuhikone Ikutsuhikone Kumanokusubi |
Amaterasu's chief place of worship, the Grand Shrine of Ise in Ise, Mie Prefecture, is one of Shinto's holiest sites and a major pilgrimage center and tourist spot. As with other Shinto kami, she is also enshrined in a number of Shinto shrines throughout Japan.