Behind the panels
This original manga follows the Kojiki account of Amaterasu and the Heavenly Rock Cave. Its illustrations were generated with AI for this retelling; character designs, staging, and dialogue are creative interpretations, not reproductions of ancient images or quotations from the source.
The Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720) preserve related but differing traditions. In the Kojiki, an unnamed weaving maiden dies after Susanoo’s violence, and Amaterasu withdraws in fright. Other versions change who is injured. This adaptation keeps the fatal event off-panel and softens the animal violence; it also depicts Uzume’s dance without the bodily exposure described in the text.
The craftspeople, ritual participants, dancer, and strong-handed Tajikarao each contribute to the return of light. The interpretation of their cooperation is part of this retelling. The later imperial genealogy is a sacred tradition, not verified historical descent. Amaterasu remains worshipped today, notably at Ise Jingū’s Naikū: these stories belong to a living religious tradition.
Sources and further reading
- Kokugakuin University, Encyclopedia of Shinto: Amaterasu — identity, origins, and variant traditions.
- Kokugakuin University: Susanoo and Tsukuyomi — the siblings and their differing roles.
- Studies on the Kojiki, 2023 (PDF) — weaving-hall episode and textual variants; PDF pages 279–280 and 287–289.
- Studies on the Kojiki, 2024 (PDF) — chapter 19, the mirror, emergence, and boundary rope.
- Kikuko Hirafuji, “Omoikane – Overcoming Numerous Difficulties with Wisdom” — the communal plan.
- Ishikoridome and Amenoakarutama / Tamanooya — the divine craftspeople.
- Japan Search: Kojiki and Nihon Shoki — the early chronicles and their dates.
- Ise Jingū, Soul of Japan (PDF) — Ninigi and the sacred treasures; About Ise Jingū and Rituals and ceremonies — present-day worship.
