Amaterasu (天照), Amaterasu-Åmikami (天照大神 or 天照大御神) or ÅŒhiru-menomuchi-no-kami (大日å貴神) is in Japanese mythology, a sun goddess, and perhaps the most important Shinto deity (神 kami). She was born from the left eye of Izanagi as he purified himself in a river, and went on to become the ruler of the Higher Celestial Plane (Takamagahara) and was also considered to be directly linked in lineage to the Imperial Household of Japan and the Emperor, who were considered descendants of the kami themselves.