Oshima-mairi: crossing the sea by boat and prayer, passed down in a fishing town
Oshima-mairi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Dates vary by district: Kamise has held it on a Sunday near July 2, Wada on an auspicious day around August 6, and Oguroi on an auspicious day around June 20. / An annual event held on dates set by each district
- Location
- Around Oibeshima Shrine on Kammuri Island (Oshima)
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Takahama Town(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.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Oshima-mairi is a fishermen’s faith tradition in Takahama, in which people travel by boat to Kammuri Island (Oshima), visit shrines, and pray for a large catch and safety at sea. Each district has passed down its own customs for boat travel, offerings, and activities after returning to port.
About Oshima-mairi
Oshima-mairi is a traditional fishermen’s faith passed down among the fishermen of the Wakasa and Tango regions.
In Takahama, fishermen travel by boat to Kammuri Island (called Oshima in Takahama) and visit Oibeshima Shrine and other shrines.
As a to pray for a large catch and safety at sea, groups from Wada Districts 5 and 6, Shiotsuchi and Kotoshiro districts, Oguroi, Kamise, and other areas have held it on their respective days.
Festival highlights
Boats flying banners and large-catch flags travel across the sea, and are turned counterclockwise when departing and before returning to port.
On Oshima, people transfer to small boats to land on the shore and offer red-and-white banners within the grounds of Oibeshima Shrine.
A fish offering (2 small sea bream) and sacred sake are presented, and the boats also visit Funadama Shrine and Ebisu Shrine—features distinctive to this event.
Oshima-mairi: crossing the sea by boat and prayer, passed down in a fishing town
What to expect
Boats set out from each district, circle in a prescribed pattern at sea, and then head to Oshima.
On the island, people transfer from the boats used to land and go ashore, visit Oibeshima Shrine, Funadama Shrine, Ebisu Shrine, and other shrines, and offer banners, fish, and sacred sake.
On the return trip, people also prayed at or remotely worshipped shrines at sea or along the coast. In some districts, the event ended with a naorai feast or banquet after returning to port.
Location and access
- Venue and address
冠島（高浜町では雄島と呼ぶ）老人嶋神社周辺／出発地：高浜町内の和田五区・六区、塩土区・事代区、小黒飯区、上瀬区など／交通手段：各地区から船で移動
Event venue 福井県高浜町 冠島老人嶋神社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
Dates vary by district: Kamise has held it on a Sunday near July 2, Wada on an auspicious day around August 6, and Oguroi on an auspicious day around June 20.
- Frequency
An annual event held on dates set by each district
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 / Takahama Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
若狭たかはまエルどらんど
福井県高浜町にあるサイエンスパーク
Origins and History of Oshima-mairi
Oshima-mairi is recorded as a fishermen’s faith tradition that has continued since ancient times in the Wakasa and Tango regions.
In Wada, people are said to have once visited Takenojinja, Chionji, and Nariaiji as well as Oshima’s Oibeshima Shrine, and to have brought back sand from Takenojinja for purification.
Before the war, youth groups in Wada took charge of festival events, while in Kamise the festivities were considered complete only after the post-return banquet known as “Dōgoto.”
Oshima-mairi at a Glance
Oshima-mairi is an event in which fishermen from Takahama travel by boat to Oshima and pray for a large catch and safety at sea by offering banners and other gifts at Oibeshima Shrine and other shrines.
Its distinctive sequence, closely tied to fishing, includes circling the boats at sea, landing on the shore, and visiting the shrines in turn.
Since the dates for visiting and customs after returning to port differ by district, the festival has been passed down along with the traditions of each community.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
