In Japanese mythology, it is the entrance gate to a cave in Takamagahara, the land of the gods.
Amaterasu Ookami, the Sun Goddess, flees to the Celestial Rock Cave (Ama-no-Iwa) in fear of Susano'o-no-Mikoto's [The Shinto storm god] rampage. As a result, darkness enveloped not only Takamagahara, but also the terrestrial world and even the land of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, or as it's called today, Japan, and all manner of calamities ravaged the world.
The gods, troubled, devise a plan.
They gather in front of the cave and make an uproar to attract the goddess' attention.
The gods cheer as the priestess goddess Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto dances and dances. When Amaterasu Ookami, inside the cave, asked why they were all laughing when the outside was supposed to be shrouded in darkness in her absence, the gods replied that they were all rejoicing at the appearance of a deity more precious than herself.
Amaterasu Ookami, as the gods had predicted, was concerned about their words and made an appearance to look outside.
She was dragged out of the Celestial Rock Cave, and the world regained its light.
According to one theory, the Celestial Rock Gate is the stone chamber of an ancient tomb and a series of myths are thought to testify to the death and rebirth of the gods.
It is also believed that the sun's reappearance through Ama-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto's dance was an ancient agricultural ritual performed around the time of the winter solstice.
For agricultural societies, the winter solstice is an important day when the power of the sun increases, and ancient peoples around the world held festivals on this day to pray for a good harvest in the coming year.
Christmas, for example, was originally a remnant of these ancient customs, and it is thought that such practices also remain in Japanese mythology.
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