Amaterasu
Culture & Region
Japan (Shinto)
Time Period
c. 712 CE (Kojiki), 720 CE (Nihon Shoki) recording; earlier oral
Domains
Sunimperial sovereigntylightcosmic orderagricultureweaving
Symbols & Animals
Mirror (Yata no Kagami)sunroostersacred regalia
Sacred Sites & Cult Centers
- Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu)
- most important Shinto site
Key Myths & Stories
Hides in cave (solar eclipse myth); imperial ancestress; heavenly weaving hall; conflicts with Susanoo
Related Deities
Supreme Shinto kami; ≈ Helios/Sol (sun); imperial legitimacy