Sakura Pond Ohitsu-osame Ritual

About this event

A Shinto ritual in which an ohitsu (wooden rice container) containing sekihan (red rice) cooked by ancient methods is submerged in the center of the pond to pray for bountiful harvests and the fulfillment of heartfelt wishes. Conducted by believers and shrine parishioners, dozens of young men who have purified their minds and bodies submerge the ohitsu in the center of the pond. As a folk ritual rare even nationwide, this Shinto ritual has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shizuoka Prefecture. It is a rare and unusual festival that has continued for over 800 years, and the sight of submerging the ohitsu in the center of the pond is a rare spectacle nationwide.

Venue

Sakuragaike Ikemiya Shrine

5162 Sakura, Omaezaki, Shizuoka 437-1604