Amaterasu (full name - Amaterasu-omikami) is a major deity of the Shinto religion. Her name means “The great goddess shining in heaven giving light to ground”. She is considered as the great-grandmother of the first Japanese Emperator Dzimmu, thus, she is the ancestor of all of imperial family. The oldest records of Japanese history, such as Kojiki and Nihon Shoki contains the legends about here. The high priestess of the cult of Amaterasu was always one of the daughters of the Emperor.

Amaterasu was born from the water droplets, by which the highestb god Idzanagi washed his left eye during purification. Being the eldest of three children, Amaterasu received the "plain sky high" for her own.

She got married to her younger brother - Susano-Mikoto, the god of storms, wind and water. This marriage was full of rivalry; however, it gave new gods and goddesses in a very interesting way. For example, after Amaterasu chewed Susano’s sword, the goddess appeared from its fragments. In his turn, Susano chewed Amaterasu’s jasper necklace, and the gods born from the pieces.
However, there was no way to last this marriage for long. Susano was very jealous that his wife is nobler and always insulted her. He trampled landmarks and destroyed irrigation buildings in paddy fields Amaterasu cultivated, defiled her apartment, skinned a live horse and scared till death celestial weavers – Amaterasu’s assistants. It was a biggest insult according to Japanese tradition. Angry and distressed goddess hidden in a heavenly cave, and stayed the Universe without sunlight.

Other gods have made a trick to return the sunlight. The heavenly blacksmith Amatsumara and goddess Isikoridome ("founderess") made a sacred mirror - Mikage, hung blue and white clothes on the sacred tree Sakaki and a magic necklace of carved jasper – magatama, brought “long-singing birds” - roosters, whose screaming starts the morning, and in final goddess Ame-no-udzume danced sacred dance Kagura over the inverted pan, spreading the strings of her clothes that led to thunderous laugh of other gods. Surprised so fun, Amaterasu looks out of thecave, and Ame-no tadzika-rao("god of muscule"), pulled Amaterasu out of the cave.



After this, Susano was kicked out the God’s society, and Amaterasu became the major deity and the founder of the Emperors of Japan.