The Cave of the Heavens

When Amaterasu-Omikami withdrew to Ameno’iwayato, unrelenting darkness covered the heavens and the earth. The myriad kami gathered on the banks of a river, and decided to ask the son of Takamimusuhi, Omoikane-no-Kami, for advice on what they should do.

They gathered the long-calling cockerels of the eternal land, and had them call. Stone and metal were gathered from Takamanohara, and Ishikoridome-no-Mikoto fashioned a mirror, while Tamano’oya-no-Mikoto crafted strings of hundreds of jewels.

Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto and Futodama-no-Mikoto heated the shoulder blade of a stag from the mountain of Amenokaguyama to divine the proper thing to do.

Then Amenokoyane and Futodama uprooted a sakaki tree from Amenokaguyama, and hung the beads on its upper branches, the mirror on its middle branches, and white and blue cloth on its lower branches. Futodama carried this before the cave as an offering, and Amenokoyane recited a prayer of celebration, as Amenotajikarao-no-Kami hid himself beside the entrance to Ameno’iwayato.

Amenouzume-no-Mikoto adorned herself with a sash and crown made of the plants of Amenokaguyama, and, bearing bundles of bamboo leaves in her hands, stepped onto an upturned vessel before Ameno’iwayato to dance, pounding the vessel with her feat. As she danced, she became lost in the dance, opened her robes to expose her nakedness.

The gathered kami laughed at this, and within the cave Amaterasu-Omikami was puzzled.

“It must be dark outside, so why are the kami so happy?”

From outside the cave, Amenouzume called her reply.

“A greater kami than you has come, and so we rejoice.”

Amenokoyane and Futodama held the mirror out to where Amaterasu-Omikami was peeping out of the cave, and she became even more suspicious, pushing the door to the cave open slightly.

As she did, Tajikarao seized her arm and pulled her out of the cave, and Futodama immediately stretched a sacred rope across the entrance so that she could not return.

Light was returned to the world.