The Shintō deities Susanoo and Hachiman are highly revered kami with intriguing—and sometimes violent—backstories. An expert on Japanese mythology looks at the origins of the two gods and ...

Amaterasu and Susanoo Amaterasu is coaxed out of the cave ... Interestingly, it also acknowledges the power of the female, something that is at odds with earlier parts of the myth, ...

Amaterasu is the highest deity in Japanese mythology. In the most famous legend about her, she shuts herself away in a cave, bringing disasters to both the world and heaven.

Susanoo tricked the serpent into getting drunk, then cut off its tails, finding the sword. But he didn't have it for long - it too was used in his efforts to make up with his sister, Amaterasu.