Amanoiwato (Amanoiwato Shrine)
あまのいわと
A cave where it is said that Amaterasu Omikami (the sun goddess) retreated. This is the central site of the mythology of the hiding in the cave.
Overview
The 'Amanoiwato' (sacred cave) enshrined as the Goshintai (sacred body) at the Nishi-honden (West Main Hall) of Amanoiwato Shrine is the cave where Amaterasu Omikami retreated in anger due to the violence of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, as recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Located on the opposite bank of the Iwato River, it is a sacred ground (no photography allowed) that can be viewed from a distance only with guidance from the shrine office. 'Amanoyasukawara' (the heavenly peaceful riverbed), located about 500 meters upstream from the Nishi-honden along the Iwato River, is a wide rocky area where it is said that the eight million kami (deities) consulted on how to bring Amaterasu Omikami out of the cave. It features a unique landscape of countless stones piled by visitors over time.
Enshrined deity / legend
Amaterasu Omikami (Myth of the Hiding in the Cave)
Highlights
- ・Goshintai: Amanoiwato (viewing from a distance only via the shrine office)
- ・Amanoyasukawara (the cave where the eight million kami consulted)
- ・Two-hall structure consisting of Nishi-honden and Higashi-honden
- ・The center of the Takachiho mythology
Details may change. Please check official sources before visiting.