Seed items buried in the earth reflect a year in Kamo and hopes for a good harvest
Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- day 16 of lunar month 1 (public viewing period: late February to early March) / Every year
- Location
- Kamo Shrine
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Obama City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 50 min–3 h 20 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono is an annual divination ritual in Kamo, Obama City. Seven kinds of seed items are buried in the ground and dug up 1 year later; the growth of their sprouts is used to divine whether crops will be plentiful or poor.
About Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono
Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono is an annual divination ritual held at Kamo Shrine in Kamo, Obama City, Fukui Prefecture.
Seven kinds of seed items are placed in a wooden box and buried in the ground. The box is dug up 1 year later, and the state of the sprouts is used to divine whether crops will be plentiful or poor.
In the sequence of prayers for a good harvest of the five grains at the lower shrine and replacing the box at the upper shrine, local take part by sharing the duties.
Festival highlights
A highlight is placing a small box containing 7 kinds of seed items in the ground for 1 year, then digging up the previous year’s box and burying a new one.
On the way from the lower shrine to the upper shrine, a ritual is held in which arrows are shot at a target hung from a tree; archery is also performed at the upper shrine.
Finally, the sprouts of each seed item are examined one by one at the shrine office. In the past, this was used to judge the harvest; today, it is said to predict a good harvest every year.
Seed items buried in the earth reflect a year in Kamo and hopes for a good harvest
What to expect
The day before, mochi is pounded at the shrine office, and cow’s-tongue-shaped mochi and flower mochi are made.
On the day, the participants pack mochi and 7 kinds of seed items into a wooden box at the shrine office, carry it to the lower shrine, and proceed to the upper shrine after paying their respects.
At the upper shrine, offerings are made, the previous year’s box is dug up and a new one is buried. The participants return to the shrine office for crop divination, and the event ends with a communal meal and the distribution of cow’s-tongue-shaped mochi.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kamo Shrine (Kamo, Obama City)
Address Kamo, Obama City
Dates and season
Held on day 16 of lunar month 1; the public viewing period is listed as running from late February to early March.
The day before the event, mochi is pounded; on the day itself, the seed items are packed in the morning.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
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 Fukui Prefecture / Obama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
山川登美子記念館
福井県小浜市にある文学館
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福井県小浜市にある博物館
福井県立若狭歴史博物館
福井県小浜市にある博物館
Origins and History of Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono
Oikemono is also recorded in early modern sources such as the Wakashū Kamo Mori Records and the Old Domain Secret Records. These accounts share two details: the event takes place on the 16th day of the first lunar month, and items are buried.
was once also performed, but is no longer performed today.
Ritual duties were formerly assigned to 4 people at a time. Now, because fewer children are listed in the eboshi register, each duty is performed by 1 person. Festival duties were introduced in Heisei 18.
Official information
Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono has been selected by the national government as an intangible folk cultural property for which measures such as record creation should be taken.
The preservation group and bearers are the Kamo Shrine Upper Shrine Ritual Preservation Association. The Fukui Prefecture cultural property page lists Kamo, Obama City, as its location and place of transmission.
Kamo Shrine’s Oikemono at a Glance
A ritual held at Kamo Shrine in Kamo, Obama City, where 7 kinds of seed items are placed in a wooden box and buried, and the abundance of the coming harvest is divined from the sprouts after 1 year.
The sequence comprises prayers at the lower shrine, archery along the way, replacing the box at the upper shrine, and crop divination and a communal meal at the shrine office.
Early modern records also describe it as an event held on the 16th day of the first lunar month that involves burying items, and it is documented as a national intangible folk cultural property.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
