Takahama Omanto Festival

About this event

This is a heroic and spirited festival where young men dressed in happi coats and split-toed jika-tabi boots leap onto sprinting horses adorned with bells and artificial flowers inside a circular corral, galloping together as one. Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Takahama City, the festival held at Kasuga Shrine and Yatsurugi Shrine is particularly grand. The festival has a long history, with the oldest record dating back to 1803 (Kyowa 3), suggesting a deep connection to rainmaking rituals. The sacred horse of the festival is said to be a black horse, often dedicated in prayers for rain, pointing to this historical relationship. The festival is typically held over two days on the first Sunday of October and the preceding Saturday, taking place on the grounds of Kasuga Shrine (Oyama Green Space). The circular corral is made of log fencing with a diameter of about 36 meters. While it was previously held on October 3 and 4, the current schedule was established in 1976 (Showa 51). During the two days of the festival, parishioners of both the upper and lower districts join together to dedicate the Omanto. Currently, on both days, participants gather at Suzaki Park before dawn and process into Kasuga Shrine at daybreak.

Venue

Oyama Green Space

2-1-1 Kasugacho, Takahama, Aichi 444-1334