In Japanese mythology, Ame-no-Uzume persuades Amaterasu to leave the Rock-Cave.
The episode appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. After Susanoo’s violent behavior, Amaterasu retreats into Ama-no-Iwato, causing the world to become dark. The assembled kami attempt several remedies, but Ame-no-Uzume devises the successful plan.
She performs a comic, ecstatic dance outside the cave, causing the other deities to laugh loudly. Curious about the noise, Amaterasu opens the entrance slightly. The deity Ame-no-Tajikarao pulls the cave door open, restoring sunlight to the world.
Ame-no-Uzume is associated with dawn, mirth, performing arts, and ritual possession. She is also regarded as an ancestor of the Sarume clan. The story is not the same as Amaterasu’s birth myth: it explains her temporary withdrawal and return.