The Omanto Festival is a festival of horses and rituals for rain, fishing, and good luck, demonstrating courage and strength. The festival takes place annually in October in Takahama City, Aichi-ken. It is a folk festival and a festival to pray to the god of the sea and the god of water (Ryugu) for the year’s harvest.
Strong horses with harnesses decorated with flowers and bells, symbolizing a deity enshrined there, ride the horses. The horses run around the circle and men and young people from 7 neighborhoods, wearing happi and jikatabi festival coats, will try to grab the horse by the neck as it gallops at a speed of about 40 km, around the circle.
This incredible festival called Omanto is a folklore festival that takes place every year at Kasuga Shrine. Originally forbidden to girls, it was recently possible for high school girls to participate with ponies.
The festival is accompanied by a float with the sound of Charapoko, the small taiko drum called Kojime is made of monkey skin with a unique, high-pitched and very loud sound.
History of the Festival
The history of the Takahama festival began around 1803 in the late Edo period. At the time, the festival seemed to be deeply involved in rain rituals. Even today, on the first day of the festival, a ceremony is held to pray for rain and fishing to Ryugu (the god of the sea and water). People and horses participating in the festival are sprinkled with some seawater or salt to exorcise evil spirits from them. This ceremony is called the Ryugu Festival. Black horses are sacred and dedicated to rainmaking rituals, so the Omanto Festival has been shown to be deeply involved in praying for rain.
- Folklore Festival: Omanto.
- Date: First and second Saturday and Sunday of October.
- Location of the first Saturday and Sunday: Kasuga Shrine – Takahama – Aichi.
- Time: 9:00 to 17:00.
- Admission: Free.
- WC: Available.
Aichi-ken Takahama-shi Kasuga-cho 2-1-8
Second week of the Omanto Festival
It is the most famous folklore event celebrated with horse racing, and the second week of the festival is held at the Yoshihama Shinmeisha Shrine, we also have the famous Arrow Bow ritual that takes place only at this festival and the Mikomai dance.
Arrow Bows
The archery event which started from 1976, is a rare event that cannot be seen anywhere else. The arrow needs to be shot at the target, in a different way. A time-consuming way of shooting with the bow and arrow, in fact a ritual that takes about 40 minutes to perform two shots.
- Location for the second Saturday and Sunday: Yoshihama Shinmeisha Shrine – Takahama.
- Hours: 9:00 to 17:00.
- Admission: Free.
- WC: Available.
Aichi-ken Takahama-shi Yoshikawa-cho 2-1-6