AMATERASU.
- For the Shintoists, she is the “great, august deity who shines in heaven,” that is, the sun goddess.
At the time when Shintoism was still a purely natural religion, it is probable that the ancestors of the imperial house worshipped the sun as their highest deity. In order then to procure greater authority for the ruling house, either the sun goddess herself was recognized as the progenitress of the imperial family, or the true ancestress was deified and identified with the sun goddess. Thus A. Omikami became not only the progenitress of the Japanese dynasty, but was also venerated as the highest deity, although in original Shinto this was Ameno-minakanushi (“the lord of the august center of heaven”). Since this god, by recalling the period when the ancestors of the Japanese were monotheists, was less suited than A. to the national aims of State Shinto, the latter was therefore declared the highest deity of Japan.
According to Japanese tradition, the cult and veneration of the sun goddess go back a very long way. At first she was venerated in the imperial residence, where the sacred mirror, her symbol, was also kept.
Already in the first millennium A.D., it was customary for the emperor, on the most important occasions, to send envoys to Ise, where the goddess’s temple is located, with gifts and sacrifices for her. All events of some importance, such as the declaration of war or the conclusion of peace, must be communicated by imperial messengers to the sanctuary of Ise, where the relevant documents must be read to the goddess.
When a new emperor ascends the throne, he himself goes on pilgrimage to Ise to announce the great event in person to the divine ancestress. On the occasion of the Second World War, Emperor Hirohito once again went on pilgrimage to Ise to pray to the sun goddess and implore her particular aid for the prosperity of the Japanese Empire.
All Japanese people are then urged to undertake at least once in their lifetime a pilgrimage to the national sanctuary of A., from which they expect the powerful protectress’s special protection for the people and the family.
In the imperial palace of Tokyo as well, in the so-called Kashikodokoro Hall, there is a small shrine sacred to the sun goddess, in which the emperor occasionally performs religious functions in his capacity as high priest of State Shinto.
Numerous temples consecrated to the goddess A. are found in various parts of the Empire, and one often comes across memorial stones or stone lanterns bearing the name of A.
The people honor the goddess in various ways at sunrise, clapping their hands, bowing toward the East, and at the same time reciting prayers. The army honored the imperial ancestress and supreme goddess by presenting arms to the rising sun.