Amaterasu Omikami is undoubtedly the most prominent survival in modern times of the ancient and universal Sun Goddess. The Shinto Sun Goddess is the Divine Ancestor of the Japanese Emperor, and the Imperial Family was considered until the end of World War II to be living deities (kami).
Who was Amaterasu Omikami?
She is the supreme deity of Japanese mythology and the ancestral goddess of the imperial family. Amaterasu was born when the creator god Izanagi washed his left eye. According to the Nihongi, Izanagi said, “Amaterasu Ōmikami, rule the High Heavenly Plain.” The Nihongi further states that her grandson, Amatsuhiko Hiko-honononinigi no Mikoto, descended to earth and that one of his descendants, Jimmu (Kamu-yamato-iwarehiko), ascended the throne as the first emperor of Japan in 660 BC. This explanation, however, has been questioned by modern historians because, among other things, there was no central government capable of controlling local leaders at that time.
Meaning of the name Amaterasu Omikami
The word amaterasu literally means “to shine in the sky,” and ō mikami means “great goddess. “ Therefore, “Chamberlain’s great shining sky deity” is a more accurate translation of amaterasu ō mikami than the more common “sun goddess. “ The Nihongi states that her previous name was Amaterasu Ō hirume no Muchi. Muchi is a suffix used for a respected person or deity. According to Origuchi, ō hirume means “wife of the sun,” not the sun itself.
In Japanese, hi means “spirit” as well as “sun,” and yo means “woman” as well as “wife.” Some confusion has resulted from this problem of multiple meanings. It seems that originally the name of this deity meant “great spirit woman, “ but later the first syllable was misinterpreted as “the sun,” and eventually this deity came to be called the sun goddess. While hundreds of rituals have been preserved at the Ise Shrine where Amaterasu has been deified, none of them are related to the sun. This fact supports the previous claim that Amaterasu does not mean “goddess of the sun.”
Symbols of Amaterasu Omikami
- Mirror: The original mirror that reflected Amaterasu was made by the dome of the blacksmith goddess Ishikore and is kept in the Grand Shrine of Ise in central Japan and is called the Yata no Kagami. The shrine accepts visitors to this day, and the building where the mirror is kept can be seen, although the mirror itself has been hidden for over 1,500 years by a series of offerings of brocade boxes and bags.
The mirror is said to have eight faces, as eight represents the Shinto number of perfection. All mirrors are considered sacred to Amaterasu and are a way to connect with her and reflect the state of the viewer’s soul. A Japanese proverb says, “When the mirror darkens, the soul is not pure.”
- Necklace: As mentioned above, at birth, Amaterasu received the sacred necklace from Izanagi. The necklace confirms her connection not only with beauty and adornment, but also with weaving and spinning, as the round spirals were previously used as beads. It is also said that a jewel from this necklace is enshrined in the Grand Shrine of Ise.
- Solar sword: Amaterasu is the guardian of the Japanese people, and in her role as protector, the solar sword represents her martial attributes. It is also an indication of her ability to lead her people into war when necessary.
The mirror, the necklace, and the sword are considered the three emblems of the Japanese Imperial Regalia and the three symbols of Shintoism.
Emblem of the Goddess
Kites are the emblem of Amaterasu Omikami; choose a sunny day to go kite flying and attach your prayers to it! Shintoism is the indigenous pre-Buddhist religion of Japan and is still considered an important religion today. It is worth noting that Japanese Shintoism, which focuses on honoring nature and the concerns of daily life, is often practiced alongside Buddhism, which focuses on the concerns of the afterlife.
Many Buddhist deities are considered Shinto kami, the life forces behind nature that connect one to the divine realm and earthly manifestations.
Myths of Amaterasu Omikami
The stories and myths of Amaterasu Omikami come from the Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan, which was completed in 712 AD and means “Record of Ancient Matters.” Before it was written down, the Kojiki was passed down orally and contains myths, legends, songs, genealogies, statements, and historical accounts about the Imperial Court of Japan, its families, and its origins.
Amaterasu emerging from the woodblock print of the cave
According to the Kojiki, Amaterasu Omikami was born when Izanagi, a primordial male deity, washed his left eye during a purification process. Izanagi entrusted her with his necklace and she was given power over the heavens. Her brother, the god Susanowo, was born when Izanagi washed his nose and was given control of the oceans.
The main myth of Amaterasu concerns a ritual competition with her brother, Susanoo, who is known for his disruptive and inappropriate behavior. He comes to heaven to see Amaterasu and promises that he does not wish to cause harm. Amaterasu is cautious and proposes a ritual test to prove his good will. She asks him for five jewels and tells him that if he is able to give birth to children from these jewels, that would prove that his intentions are peaceful. He agrees, and Susanoo opens the five jewels to reveal five gods.
Before Amaterasu Omikami could accept the results, Susanoo throws himself into a frenzy of excitement over his creation. He destroys the world, destroying everything in his path. The final insult comes when he throws the flayed corpse of a horse through the ceiling of Amaterasu’s heavenly weaving hall, causing the death of one of her attendants, Wakahirume, who was pricked and died.
Amaterasu, in her disgust, flees to the Cave of the Heavenly Rock and locks herself inside. The world was plunged into darkness, deprived of Amaterasu’s light. As darkness covered the world, eight million gods and goddesses came to beg Amaterasu to return. She refused and remained locked in the cave.
The shaman and goddess Uzume arrived on the scene and assessed the situation. Instead of appeasing Amaterasu, she slides into a bathtub, climbs to the top, and proceeds to dance, sing, and shout obscene comments. Uzume’s dance became wild as she caressed her clothes and entertained the divine audience, who began to clap and respond with delight to the spectacle before them.
Inside the cave, Amaterasu Omikami heard the revelry and wondered how they could be celebrating without her. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the cave door and peeked out. A mirror (the Yata no Kagami) had been placed directly outside the door of the Cave of the Heavenly Rock, and when the door opened slightly, Amaterasu’s dazzling beauty was reflected in it.
She had never seen herself before and was shocked by the brilliant reflection of her own divine beauty. Quickly, the other gods opened the door and held it open so that Amaterasu was fully exposed and the door could not be closed again. And so… the sun returned to the earth and life was saved.
Ruling the underworld
These events made it necessary to convene a third council of the gods, and it was decided to send Take-mika-zuchi, the god of thunder, and Futsu-nushi, the god of fire, armed with their swords to negotiate with Oho-kuni-nushi, the earthly ruler, and persuade him of the wisdom of recognizing Amaterasu’s right to sovereignty over the earth as well as the sky. Oho-kuni-nushi, understandably reluctant to surrender his power without a scandal, consulted his two sons.
The elder son, Koto-shiro-nushi, advised his father to yield peacefully, but his younger son, Take-minakata, advised resistance. The latter then recklessly fought with Take-mika-zuchi, but he was no match for the god of thunder and was easily defeated. Seeing the hopelessness of his position, Oho-kuni-nushi graciously ceded sovereignty to Amaterasu and left to rule the underworld.
Now that things were finally settled, Amaterasu again asked her son Ama-no-Oshiho-mimi to rule the earth. He refused for the second time, but instead named his son Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Amaterasu agreed and gave Ninigi three gifts to help him on his way. These were the Yasakani, a jewel (or pearls), the source of the ancient dispute between Amaterasu and Susanoo; Yata, the mirror from the cave episode; and Kusanagi, the sword that Susanoo had pulled from the tail of a monster.
These would become the three emblems of Ninigi’s power (sanshu no jingi) and would become the imperial insignia of his descendants, the emperors of Japan. In fact, the first emperor, Jimmu (r. 660-585 BC), who founded the Japanese state in 660 BC, is said to have been a direct descendant of Amaterasu. This belief allowed successive emperors to equally claim divine ancestry and thus exercise absolute authority.
Amaterasu Omikami and Japanese art
The Japanese nobility also claimed descent from the goddess when, before the cave episode, she took Susanoo’s sword, broke it into three pieces, ate them, and then spat them out as three female deities. Likewise, Susanoo took his sister’s necklace of 500 jewels, ate them, and spat them out as a mist from which five male deities were formed. Collectively, these eight deities were believed to be the ancestors of the Japanese nobility.
In Japanese art, the goddess is most often depicted as a good-natured being, often sitting back to back with her other brother, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, the god of the moon. Roosters are associated with her when they announce the sunrise and also with the crow (yata garasu), which is believed to be the goddess’s messenger. The Grand Shrine of Ise or Jingu, the most important Shinto shrine in Japan, is dedicated to Amaterasu, and the goddess is represented there by one of her other symbols: an octagonal mirror (yata kayami).
