The document summarizes the Shinto creation myth involving the sun goddess Amaterasu. It describes how Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo were born from Izanagi after he cleansed himself from the underworld. They were given dominion over the heavens, but conflicts arose between Susanoo and Amaterasu that caused her to hide in a cave, plunging the world into darkness until she was lured out. Her return brought order and she sent her descendant to rule earth, establishing Japan's imperial lineage. The story has been a core part of Shinto beliefs and spread widely in Japanese culture.

1. The Story of
Amaterasu
A TALE FROM SHINTO BELIEFS

2. IZANAGI AND
IZANAMI
• IZANAGI NO MIKOTO AND IZANAMI NO
MIKOTO WERE THE FIRST DIVINE BEINGS
• IZANAMI EVENTUALLY SUCCUMBED TO
FIRE THE LAST KAMI CREATED BY THE
ATTEMPTED REPRODUCTION THAT BUILT
THE WORLD
• IZANAGI THEN TRAVELED TO YOMI IN
SEARCH OF IZANAMI AND FOUND HER
ROTTEN BODY TO BE FULL OF DEMONS
AND WAS DISGUSTED WITH HER
APPEARANCE

3. IZANAGI AND
IZANAMI CONT,
• IZANAMI SEEING THIS
REJECTION TRIED PUSHING
IZANAGI THROUGH THE
GATES OF DEATH WHICH HE
BLOCKED WITH A BOULDER
• IZANAGI THEN RESPONDED
TO IZANAMIS THREATS OF
KILLING A THOUSAND
PEOPLE EVERYDAY WITH
THE PROMISE OF CREATING
500 MORE THAN SHE
COULD DESTORY EVERY
DAY

4. THE BIRTH OF
AMATERASU
IZANAGI THEN
FOUND A POOL
OF PURE WATER
AND BATHED
HIMSELF IN IT
WHEN HE
WASHED HIS
LEFT EYE
AMATERASU
APPEARED
FROM IT
WHEN
IZANAGI WASHED
HIS
LEFT EYE TSUKOYOMI THEN
EMERGED
IZANAGI ALSO
CLEANED
HIS
NOSE WHICH BIRTHED
SUSANOO

5. ROLES OF THE
KAMI
• AMATERASU WAS BORN WITH THE LIGHT
OF THE SUN.
• TSUKUYOMI WAS BORN TO REFLECT HIS
SISTERS LIGHT.
• AND SUSANOO WAS THE GOD OF THE
SEA AND STORMS.

6. IZANAGIS WISHES
IZANAGI WISHED
THESE THREE TO
RULE THE HEAVENS
IN HIS PLACE
AMATERASU WAS
TO LEAD THEM

7. DAY AND
NIGHT
• TSUKUYOMI AND AMATERASU
MARRIED AND EVENTUALLY HAD
CHILDERN
• DURING A BANQUET UKE MOCHI A
GODDESS SPAT FISH INTO THE SEA
AND GAME INTO THE FOREST AND
THEN PULLED CROPS FROM HER
RECTUM
• TSUKUYOMI WAS DISGUSTED WITH
HER ACTIONS AND KILLED HER ON
THE SPOT
• HE WAS THEN REJECTED BY
AMATERASU WHICH THEN
SEPERATED DAY AND NIGHT

8. AMATERASU’S
CAVE
• IZANAGI BANISHED SUSANOO FOR
DISPUTING HIS ELDER SISTERS RULE
• BEFORE HE BID HER FAREWELL, HE VISITED
HER AND OFFERED HER A CHALLENGE
• THE KAMI HANDED EACH OTHER A
PERSONAL ITEM AMATERASU RECEIVED A
SWORD FROM SUSANOO AND AMATERASU
GAVE SUSANOO A NECKLACE

9. AMATERASU’S
CAVE
• SUSANOO BIRTHED 5 KAMI FROM
THE GEM WHILE AMATERASU
ONLY BIRTHED 3 FROM THE
SWORD
• AMATERASU CLAIMED HERSELF
THE VICTOR BECAUSE THE
NECKLACE WAS HERS
• SUSANOO FLEW INTO A FIT OF
RAGE AND DESTROYED HER
CROPS AND KILLED HER
PERSONAL ATTENDANT
• ASHAMED OF HER ACTIONS SHE
RAN AWAY TO AMA NO IWATO
OR THE HEAVENLY ROCK CAVE
CAUSING THE WORLD TO
PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS AND
CHAOS

10. AMATERASUS
RETURN
A YEAR INTO AMATERASU’S ABSENCE THE
KAMI DECIDED THEY MUST LURE HER BACK
THEY THREW A GRAND PARTY AND A KAMI
KNOWN AS AME NO UZUME PERFORMED A
REVEALING DANCE
THIS CAUSED AMATERASU TO COME TO THE
CAVE ENTRANCE WHERE OMOIKANE
MOVED THE STONE AND AMATERASU SAW
HER OWN BRIGHTNESS IN THE 8 FOLD
MIRROR

11. AMATERASU’S
RETURN CONT
• AS SHE RETURNED TO THE WORLD
THE CHAOS FLED
• SHE BEGGED FORGIVENESS FOR
HER ACTIONS AND RECONCILED
WITH HER BROTHER IN HEAVEN
• SHE THEN RECEIVED THE HEAVENLY
BLADE AS A GIFT FROM HIM
• EVENTUALLY AMATERASU SENT HER
GRANDSON NINIGI TO RULE THE
EARTH
• EVENTUALLY HIS GREAT
GRANDSON JIMMU WOULD
BECOME THE FIRST EMPREROR OF
JAPAN

12. CULTURAL
IMPACT
• THIS IS THE CREATION STORY FOR THE
SHINTO RELIGION AND HAS BEEN
WIDESPREAD BELIEF FOR HUNDREDS OF
YEARS
• THIS STORY HAS BEEN TOLD VERBALLY AND
WRITTEN IN THE KOJIKI
• THERE HAVE BEEN ADAPTED VERSIONS OF
THIS STORY WITHIN JAPANESE CULTURE
SEEN IN ANIME, GAMES AND LITERATURE.
• THE STORY HAS REMAINED THE SAME
THROUGOUT THE YEARS AND HAS NOT
DEVIATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL FORM

13. MY
THOUGHTS
• I LIKE THE STORY OF AMATERASU
BECAUSE I AM FASCINATED BY
SHINTOISM AND JAPANESE CULTURE
• I ALSO FIND THE STORY INTERESTING IN
HOW THE KAMI HAVE VERY HUMAN LIKE
FLAWS UNLIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS
WHERE THE DEITYS ARE PLACED ON A
PEDESTAL AND CAN DO NO WRONG

14. REFERENCES: • JAPANONOLGY, (2020)
https://japanology.org/2017/01/amate
rasu-and-the-gods-of-ancient-japan/
• Chamberlain, B. H. (1982). The Kojiki:
Records of ancient matters. Rutland
• MYTHOPEDIA, (2020)
https://mythopedia.com/japanese-
mythology/gods/amaterasu/