Amaterasu (憭拍??), Amaterasu-?mikami (憭拍??憭抒?嚗予?批之敺∠?) or ?hirume-no-muchi-no-kami (憭扳??摮??眼蟡? is a part of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion.

She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. The name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning 'shining in heaven'. The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-?mikami, is 'the great august kami (God) who shines in the heaven'.

The Emperor of Japan is said to be a direct descendant of Amaterasu.