In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu is the Shinto sun goddess traditionally regarded as an ancestor of the imperial family.
Amaterasu appears in the eighth-century chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. In the best-known story, she withdraws into a cave after a conflict with her brother Susanoo, plunging the world into darkness. The other kami lure her out with a performance and a mirror, restoring light.
Her major shrine is Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture, where she is enshrined as Amaterasu Ōmikami. The shrine’s central sacred object is the Sacred Mirror, traditionally identified with Yata no Kagami. The mirror is one of Japan’s Three Sacred Treasures.
Amaterasu is sometimes simplified as merely a sun goddess, but her importance also comes from imperial genealogy and state ritual. She should not be confused with Izanami, a creator figure and goddess associated with death after entering Yomi.