Otaue Ceremony in Sumiyoshi

The Otaue ceremony in Sumiyoshi is a festival featuring rice planting and traditional performing arts in the sacred field of Sumiyoshi Taisha. The passing of rice seedlings sets the sequence in motion, followed by the Yaotome dance, a staff-fighting contest by Fūryū Warriors, and Sumiyoshi Odori.

About Otaue Ceremony in Sumiyoshi

Otaue Ceremony in Sumiyoshiの記録写真：File:Japan, Osaka, Ō-taue Matsuri, young cow plowing 7.jpg — Photo credits and terms of use
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Otaue Ceremony in Sumiyoshiの記録写真：File:Japan, Osaka, Ō-taue Matsuri, lancer 2.jpg — Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Marie-Sophie Mejan File:Japan, Osaka, Ō-taue Matsuri, lancer 2.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 スキャナで取り込みDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.

The Otaue ceremony in Sumiyoshi is a rice-planting event held in conjunction with a festival at Sumiyoshi Taisha.

Early rice seedlings received before the deities are passed from the ueme to the kaeueme, and rice planting begins in the sacred field.

Performances such as the Yaotome dance, the Fūryū Warriors’ event, and Sumiyoshi Odori are also part of the ritual, which has been passed down as a sacred ceremony praying for a bountiful harvest.

A distinctive feature is the chance to see a festival combining rice planting and traditional performing arts in an urban part of Osaka.

Source: 特別な祭 | 祭りと年中行事 | 住吉大社

Festival highlights

A highlight is the procession’s approach to the sacred field, where a variety of performances unfold on a temporary stage in the center and along the field’s banks.

The program continues with a rice-field dance by the Yaotome, a staff-fighting contest by Fūryū Warriors wearing armor and helmets, and a rice-planting dance in which children dance around umbrellas.

At the end, Sumiyoshi Odori dancers are also shown dancing in the shape of the character for “heart,” letting visitors enjoy the progress of rice planting alongside dance and music.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース

A traditional Sumiyoshi Taisha festival brought to life by rice planting and dance

What to expect

Ueme and children serving as festival attendants, among others involved in the event, receive purification rites. The proceedings begin with a hōkokusai at the First Main Shrine.

After that, musicians, Yaotome dancers, ueme, children serving as festival attendants, Fūryū Warriors, and Sumiyoshi Odori dancers form a procession and head to the sacred field.

The field is purified with sacred water, and after the rice seedlings are handed over, planting begins. As the dances, staff-fighting contest, and other performances proceed, the planting in the sacred field is completed.

How to take part

Visitors can watch the event.

Location and access

Venue and address

From the First Main Shrine of Sumiyoshi Taisha to the sacred field.

The address is 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.

Train and bus

It is a 3-minute walk east from Sumiyoshi Taisha Station on the Nankai Main Line, and a 5-minute walk west from Sumiyoshi-Higashi Station on the Nankai Kōya Line.

It is a short walk from Sumiyoshi--mae Station on the Hankai Line.

By car

Directions recommend using the Tamade exit on the Hanshin Expressway Route 15 Sakai Line when coming from the north, or the Ōhama exit on the Hanshin Expressway Route 4 Bayshore Line when coming from the south.

Large vehicles are not permitted.

Parking

The parking information says that arrangements are as usual during the Sumiyoshi Festival (summer festival).

Information on parking reservations is also available.

Source: アクセス | 住吉大社

Address 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture

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Dates and season

It is held on June 14 in most years, and the festival ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

The venue stretches from the First Main Sanctuary of Sumiyoshi Taisha to the rice paddy.

As the event features rice planting and performances offered to the deities, it’s best to head to the venue early, timing your arrival for the scenes you want to see.

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写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5

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Origins and History of Otaue Ceremony in Sumiyoshi

According to tradition, the event began when Empress Jingū designated a new field as a rice field to provide offerings to the Sumiyoshi deities when Sumiyoshi Taisha was established, and invited ueme from Nagato Province.

Records from the Kamakura period mention performing arts such as sarugaku and , suggesting that the event was already held on a considerable scale at the time.

It was at risk of being discontinued during the Meiji Restoration, but was carried on and designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Showa 54.

Official information

Under “Special Festivals,” the official Sumiyoshi Taisha website provides the time, venue, history, and program for the Otaue .

For directions, see the access page on the official Sumiyoshi Taisha website.