http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/amaterasu.html
(This site is called "Encyclopedia Mythica" and hence talks about Natural Traditions as myths. "Mythos" was used by the Greeks for "fictions, lies", so one knows what to expect, including the absence of title-case for others' Gods.)
Anyway:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Amaterasu</b>
The Japanese Shinto sun goddess, ruler of the Plain of Heaven, whose name means 'shining heaven' or 'she who shines in the heavens'. She is the central figure in the Shinto pantheon and the Japanese Imperial family claims descent from her 1. She is the eldest daughter of Izanagi. She was so bright and radiant that her parents sent her up the Celestial Ladder to heaven, where she has ruled ever since.
When her brother, the storm-god Susanowa, ravaged the earth she retreated to a cave because he was so noisy. She closed the cave with a large boulder. Her disappearance deprived the world of light and life. Demons ruled the earth. The other gods used everything in their power to lure her out, but to no avail. Finally it was Uzume who succeeded. The laughter of the gods when they watched her comical and obscene dances aroused Amaterasu's curiosity. When she emerged from her cave a streak of light escaped (a streak nowadays people call dawn). The goddess then saw her own brilliant reflection in a mirror which Uzume had hung in a nearby tree. When she drew closer for a better look, the gods grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. She returned to the sky, and brought light back into the world.
Later, she created rice fields, called inada, where she cultivated rice. She also invented the art of weaving with the loom and taught the people how to cultivate wheat and silkworms.
Amaterasu's main sanctuary is Ise-Jingue situated on Ise, on the island of Honshu. This temple is pulled down every twenty years and then rebuild in its original form. <b>In the inner sanctum she is represented by a mirror (her body). She is also called Omikami ("illustrious goddess") and Tensho Daijan (in Sino-Japanese pronunciation).</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Looks to be a better page on her:
Amaterasu Omikami, Great Goddess Shining in Heaven
Contains paintings of her, an image of her temple as well as a link to a photo of the main sanctum (from the outside)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Among the most highly revered of all the Shinto Kami is Amaterasu Omikami, the Great Sun Goddess.</b> Amaterasu Omikami is virtually the supreme deity in Japanese mythology as well as the ancestor goddess of the imperial family.
[...]
In approximately the fourth century C.E., during the Emperor Suinin's reign, the cult of Amaterasu came to Isé and an especially sacred shrine was dedicated in the goddess's honor (Kitagawa 33, note). Following a longstanding Shinto tradition, the Inner Shrine at Isé has been rebuilt every twenty years since the 690s. This is because the Shinto religion emphasizes purity and cleanliness. When each new shrine is built, the previous one is retained alongside it as the alternate site. The view at right looks down on both sites of the sanctuary of the Inner Shrine. Here the alternate site is in the foreground, while the main site -- identical in plan -- is in the background. In the center is the main sanctuary, to the left of which stand the treasure houses. The whole area is surrounded by four concentric wooden fences, delineating the sacred precinct. Visitors worship outside the southern gate (to the right, not shown). Only priests and members of the imperial family are permitted to enter the innermost sanctum. Within the shrine are located the sacred mirror and the heavenly arrows. It is customary for a Shinto believer to make a pilgrimage to the shrine at least once in a lifetime. However, if this is not possible one may have a friend or relative bring back a memento from the shrine for the believer to worship at home.
<span style='color:purple'>(Must make it a point to visit it and offer my respects to Omikami <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> )
Worship of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, has survived for thousands of years in the heart of Japan. She is a power to respect and revere, and will probably remain so for centuries to come.</span><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Interesting page, must investigate the site.
http://www.uwec.edu/philrel/shimbutsudo/
<b>Shimbutsudo: A Web Page for the Study of Japanese Religions</b>
(This site is called "Encyclopedia Mythica" and hence talks about Natural Traditions as myths. "Mythos" was used by the Greeks for "fictions, lies", so one knows what to expect, including the absence of title-case for others' Gods.)
Anyway:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Amaterasu</b>
The Japanese Shinto sun goddess, ruler of the Plain of Heaven, whose name means 'shining heaven' or 'she who shines in the heavens'. She is the central figure in the Shinto pantheon and the Japanese Imperial family claims descent from her 1. She is the eldest daughter of Izanagi. She was so bright and radiant that her parents sent her up the Celestial Ladder to heaven, where she has ruled ever since.
When her brother, the storm-god Susanowa, ravaged the earth she retreated to a cave because he was so noisy. She closed the cave with a large boulder. Her disappearance deprived the world of light and life. Demons ruled the earth. The other gods used everything in their power to lure her out, but to no avail. Finally it was Uzume who succeeded. The laughter of the gods when they watched her comical and obscene dances aroused Amaterasu's curiosity. When she emerged from her cave a streak of light escaped (a streak nowadays people call dawn). The goddess then saw her own brilliant reflection in a mirror which Uzume had hung in a nearby tree. When she drew closer for a better look, the gods grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. She returned to the sky, and brought light back into the world.
Later, she created rice fields, called inada, where she cultivated rice. She also invented the art of weaving with the loom and taught the people how to cultivate wheat and silkworms.
Amaterasu's main sanctuary is Ise-Jingue situated on Ise, on the island of Honshu. This temple is pulled down every twenty years and then rebuild in its original form. <b>In the inner sanctum she is represented by a mirror (her body). She is also called Omikami ("illustrious goddess") and Tensho Daijan (in Sino-Japanese pronunciation).</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Looks to be a better page on her:
Amaterasu Omikami, Great Goddess Shining in Heaven
Contains paintings of her, an image of her temple as well as a link to a photo of the main sanctum (from the outside)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Among the most highly revered of all the Shinto Kami is Amaterasu Omikami, the Great Sun Goddess.</b> Amaterasu Omikami is virtually the supreme deity in Japanese mythology as well as the ancestor goddess of the imperial family.
[...]
In approximately the fourth century C.E., during the Emperor Suinin's reign, the cult of Amaterasu came to Isé and an especially sacred shrine was dedicated in the goddess's honor (Kitagawa 33, note). Following a longstanding Shinto tradition, the Inner Shrine at Isé has been rebuilt every twenty years since the 690s. This is because the Shinto religion emphasizes purity and cleanliness. When each new shrine is built, the previous one is retained alongside it as the alternate site. The view at right looks down on both sites of the sanctuary of the Inner Shrine. Here the alternate site is in the foreground, while the main site -- identical in plan -- is in the background. In the center is the main sanctuary, to the left of which stand the treasure houses. The whole area is surrounded by four concentric wooden fences, delineating the sacred precinct. Visitors worship outside the southern gate (to the right, not shown). Only priests and members of the imperial family are permitted to enter the innermost sanctum. Within the shrine are located the sacred mirror and the heavenly arrows. It is customary for a Shinto believer to make a pilgrimage to the shrine at least once in a lifetime. However, if this is not possible one may have a friend or relative bring back a memento from the shrine for the believer to worship at home.
<span style='color:purple'>(Must make it a point to visit it and offer my respects to Omikami <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> )Worship of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, has survived for thousands of years in the heart of Japan. She is a power to respect and revere, and will probably remain so for centuries to come.</span><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Interesting page, must investigate the site.
http://www.uwec.edu/philrel/shimbutsudo/
<b>Shimbutsudo: A Web Page for the Study of Japanese Religions</b>