Announcement of the "Ombe Festival"

The Onbe Festival will be held at Mitojin Shrine in Takihara, Taiki Town from 7:8 am on Sunday, August 24th, 10.

During the Age of the Gods, before Takihara Shrine was enshrined, Mito Shrine is a historic shrine where Hayaakitsuhiko-no-kami and Hayaakitsuhime-no-kami are said to have descended.

During the Onbe Festival, a festival and a sweetfish divination ritual are held at Mitojinja Shrine. In the ritual, sweetfish that have been offered to Mitojinja Shrine and purified are thrown into a hole (called "Ohachi") in a large rock in the Ouchiyama River, and whether or not they land in the hole determines the fortune of the year.

The character for ayu (sweetfish) is written with the character for fish and the character for fortune-telling. Ayu fortune-telling is said to have originated in the 4th century, around the time of Emperor Chuai, the 14th emperor of Japan.

The Onbe Festival is the only unique festival still remaining in Japan, a Shinto ritual of fortune-telling using sweetfish.