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Amaterasu and the Heavenly Rock Cave

The myth of Amaterasu’s retreat into Ama‑no‑Iwato and the gods’ clever rescue, linked to the real Amanoiwato shrine in Takachiho.

Chapters

• 0:07 The World Darkens
• 1:34 Sacred Mirrors and Jewels
• 3:01 Divine Intervention
• 4:28 From Myth to Shrine

On-screen text

• 0:07 The World Darkens
• 0:14 The World Darkens
• 0:31 Amaterasu hides in the heavenly cave, darkness falls. Tradition / scripture · Kojiki (712 CE)
• 0:49 Other gods gather as darkness spreads. Tradition / scripture · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)
• 1:07 Uzume’s joyous dance draws laughter. Tradition / scripture · Kojiki (712 CE)
• 1:25 13th‑c. scroll shows the cave gathering. Historical record · Heian‑period handscroll “Tale of the Heike” (13th c.)
• 1:34 Sacred Mirrors and Jewels
• 1:41 Sacred Mirrors and Jewels
• 1:58 The sacred mirror belongs to Amaterasu’s regalia. Historical record · Imperial Regalia list, Ise Grand Shrine (historical record)
• 2:16 Amaterasu hides in the heavenly cave, darkness falls. Tradition / scripture · Kojiki (712 CE)
• 2:34 Early bronze mirrors used in ancient rites. Historical record · Bronze mirror, Yayoi period, Tokyo National Museum (excavated 1930)
• 2:52 Imperial genealogy ties to Amaterasu. Historical record · Shinsen Shōjiroku (815 CE)
• 3:01 Divine Intervention
• 3:08 Divine Intervention
• 3:25 Engi Shiki notes shrine rites honoring the cave myth. Historical record · Engi Shiki (927 CE)
• 3:43 Uzume’s dance seen as origin of kagura. The Institute's interpretation · Basil Hall Chamberlain, The Kojiki (1901)
• 4:01 Tajikarao drags Amaterasu out. Tradition / scripture · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)
• 4:19 Pillars invoke the sun god at Takachiho. Historical record · Takachiho stone pillar inscriptions, Kofun period (5th‑6th c.)
• 4:28 From Myth to Shrine
• 4:50 Other kami gathered, fearing loss of light Tradition / scripture · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)
• 5:27 8th‑century tablet reads Ama‑no‑Iwato Historical record · Archaeological survey of Amanoiwato Shrine, Takachiho (1975 excavation report)
• 6:15 Matsumoto reads: agrarian rite of darkness and return of sun The Institute's interpretation · Matsumoto, Shinto and the Sun (1995)
• 6:39 How did myth become shrine?

Sources

Historical record: Heian‑period handscroll “Tale of the Heike” (13th c.) · Imperial Regalia list, Ise Grand Shrine (historical record) · Bronze mirror, Yayoi period, Tokyo National Museum (excavated 1930) · Shinsen Shōjiroku (815 CE) · Engi Shiki (927 CE) · Takachiho stone pillar inscriptions, Kofun period (5th‑6th c.) · Archaeological survey of Amanoiwato Shrine, Takachiho (1975 excavation report)

Tradition / scripture: Kojiki (712 CE) · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)

The Institute's interpretation: Basil Hall Chamberlain, The Kojiki (1901) · Matsumoto, Shinto and the Sun (1995)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 77 s of CPU.