The Otogui Ritual of Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine

The Otogui Ritual of Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine, passed down in the Kōda district, is a festival that keeps alive the connection between the shrine, once located in the district, and the local community through the otogui altar and sacred offerings.

About The Otogui Ritual of Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine

This ritual is held in conjunction with the festival at Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine, with an ohake and otogui altar set up at Myōjin Shrine in the Kōda district.

The ritual originates from the time when Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine stood in the Kōda district, and local people prepare and make the sacred offerings.

As an event connecting the festival with local memory, it is designated an intangible folk cultural property of Mitoyo City.

Festival highlights

A distinctive feature is the otogui altar, built from bamboo and straw, with an ohake set upright on it.

The otogui is carried back after being grasped from a rock on the shore; the rock is called -iwa, Shishimaiwa, or Gozen-iwa.

At Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine, it is also said that the year’s good or ill fortune is foretold by whether crows peck at the food offered, making this a festival that links sacred offerings with divination.

An ancient ritual of altars and sacred offerings, linking memories of Kōda

What to expect

Two days before the festival, members of the Tōgumi build the otogui altar in the precincts of Myōjin Shrine in the Kōda district and prepare sacred offerings for Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine.

The day before, the tōnin visit shrines and small shrines in the Kōda district in a rite called Miyama-iri. At the evening festival that afternoon, the otogui is offered on the roof of Kōra Shrine.

On the day of the festival, the Tōgumi of the Kōda district make the sacred offerings, and after the festival the ohake at Myōjin Shrine is taken down.

Location and access

Venue and address: Kōda district, Takuma-cho, Mitoyo City (Myōjin Shrine in the Kōda district and Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine)

Address Kōda district, Takuma-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture

Travel by taxi PRFind a taxi or private transfer for your journey.Find a taxi on Kiwitaxi Long-distance buses are another option PRFind routes and fares from your departure point to your destination.Find highway buses on Rakuten Travel

Dates and season

Season: October, first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Accommodation and hotels PR

Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kagawa Prefecture / Mitoyo City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)

Supported by Rakuten Developers

Nearby attractions

The Kōda district is home to facilities including an aircraft launch ramp and air-raid shelters from a naval air corps, among only 2 such locations remaining nationwide.

Together with the district’s history and culture, which preserve the Otogui Ritual of Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine, these places are introduced as a way to encounter local practices passed down through generations.

The facilities’ public access status and conditions of use should be checked individually.

Origins and History of The Otogui Ritual of Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine

This ritual is said to originate from the time when Funakoshi Hachiman Shrine stood in the Kōda district.

Mitoyo City’s introduction explains that the ritual has been passed down according to ancient customs for about 1,300 years.

The connection between the shrine and the community is kept alive today through the practice of local people building the otogui altar and preparing and making sacred offerings.

Official information

Kagawa Prefectural Museum: “Festivals, Events, and Folk Performing Arts of Kagawa Prefecture” page