Susanoo is the Shinto kami associated with storms and the sea. He is also known as Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, and Tsukuyomi, god of the moon.
In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Susanoo is portrayed as powerful, unruly, and unpredictable. His destructive behavior toward Amaterasu helps drive the famous story of her retreat into the Heavenly Rock Cave, plunging the world into darkness.
Susanoo later becomes a heroic figure when he defeats Yamata no Orochi, an eight-headed serpent, and rescues Kushinadahime. He is also connected with rain, agriculture, protection from calamity, and pestilence, so his role extends beyond a simple storm-god label.
He is sometimes confused with Raijin, the thunder-and-lightning deity, or Fujin, the wind god. Susanoo’s defining myths, however, link him especially with violent weather, the sea, and the stormy forces of nature.