Which sun goddess is the most important kami in Shinto?

Amaterasu is the sun goddess traditionally regarded as the most important kami in Shinto.

Her full name, Amaterasu Ōmikami, means roughly “the great kami who shines in heaven.” In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan’s earliest major mythological texts, she rules the heavenly realm Takamagahara and is portrayed as a central ancestor of the imperial line. Her grandson Ninigi descends to earth, and later tradition traces Japan’s emperors through him.

One of Amaterasu’s best-known stories concerns Ama-no-Iwato. After Susanoo’s destructive behavior, she withdraws into a cave, plunging the world into darkness. The other kami lure her out with music, laughter, and a mirror. The myth explains the restoration of sunlight while emphasizing ritual, community, and cosmic order.

Amaterasu is especially associated with Ise Jingū, Japan’s most important Shinto shrine complex. Izanagi, Susanoo, and Tsukuyomi are frequent quiz distractors: Izanagi is a creator deity, Susanoo a storm deity, and Tsukuyomi a moon deity, while Amaterasu is the solar figure traditionally given the highest status.