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Ama-no-Iwato (天の岩戸, literally "heaven's rock cave") is acave inJapanese mythology. According to theKojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and theNihon Shoki, the bad behavior ofSusano'o, the Japanese god of storms, drove his sisterAmaterasu into the Ama-no-Iwato cave. The land was thus deprived of light.[1]
In order to get Amaterasu out of the cave, the other gods calledYao-yorozu-no-kami threw a party outside with wisdom ofOmoikane. The goddessAme-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto performed a lewd dance, eliciting laughter. Amaterasu grew curious about the source of amusement and peeked out of the cave entrance. She became fascinated by her own reflection in theYata no Kagami mirror which the other gods had crafted and hung before the cave for that purpose, and stood transfixed.Ame-no-Tajikarao then forced the cave open and the world was bathed in light once again. As Amaterasu stepped out of the cave, a holy seal was applied to it so that she could never go back into hiding.
The main shrine called Higashihongu (east hall) and a hall of worship called Nishihongu (west hall) face each other across the Iwato River gorge. The Ama-no-Iwato cave is an object of worship in festivals and is a rock cave on the other side of the Iwato River from Nishihongu. You can see the cave from Nishihongu after participating in a Shinto ritual for purification. Photography of any kind is prohibited.[2]
The grounds contain many plants and old trees. There are also rare ancientginkgo andMagnolia compressa trees, which have been considered sacred in Japan since ancient times.
| Mythic texts |   | |
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| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
| Other | ||
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