Obanachi

About this event

This traditional festival is held annually on November 23 (Labor Thanksgiving Day) at Yagami Shrine (the local guardian shrine) in the Oka district of Kamitonda Town, Wakayama Prefecture, to pray for good health and ward off epidemics. Locally, it is also called "Ohe-san," "Obanachi," or "Ohe-san o Sasu." In this festival, "Obanachi Musume"—young elementary school girls selected from each district—and men holding 2-meter-long sacred paper wands called "Ohe-san" conduct a sacred procession. Along the way, shishimai (lion dance) kagura is dedicated, and the respective "Ohe-san" and "Obanachi Musume" join together to advance before the altar of Yagami Shrine. The shrine's chief representative receives the wand and the offerings placed on a cypress tray carried by the "Obanachi Musume," and hands them to the Shinto priest to be offered at the worship hall. The festival used to be held on November 29, but since the autumn festival was moved to November 23 about 20 years ago, it is now held on this date. For the festival attire, school uniforms have recently been encouraged to avoid extravagance; the "Obanachi Musume" wear makeup with rouge on their foreheads and cheeks, place an "Obanachi ring" on folded crimson fukusa silk cloths on their heads, and hold up the "Obanachi" on a cypress tray. Because this "Obanachi" is heavy, people around them sometimes assist. The wand consists of a roughly 2-meter wooden pole fitted with 16 sheets of Yasuda paper streamers, decorated at the tip with a pair of Hinomaru (Japanese flag) fans.

Venue

Yagami Shrine

1382 Oka, Kamitonda, Nishimuro District, Wakayama 649-2101