片川大輝

Oi Shrine is a historic old shrine that is recorded in the "Three Generations of Japan Jitsuroku" vol. 11 as "December 21, the 7th year of Jokan (865), the sixth rank of the Ōi God Obedience to the Fifth Rank" and is the water god of the majestic Oi River. At that time, the Oi River had a large amount of water and was a violent river that caused floods once it rained, but it was also a river of blessings that provided a rich water source and fertile land. In gratitude for the blessings and prayers for the protection of the Oigawa River and the development of the local area, Oi Shrine was built. 　It is said that Oi Shrine was originally enshrined in the upper reaches of the Oi River, but it was washed away by a flood and came to be enshrined in the land of Shimada, where it flowed in 1276. After that, the site was changed due to frequent floods, and in 1689, with the expansion of the city, it was transferred to the current site. 　Even today, it enshrines the three goddesses of Mitoha Nouri (god of water), Nabe Yasuhiuri (god of earth), and Emperor Amaterasu (god of the sun), and attracts the faith of many people. Our festival, the Oi Shrine Grand Festival, commonly known as the "Obi Festival," is a festival in mid-October where the gods return to the old shrine site, and since the current form was established in the 8th year of Genroku (1695), it has been held for three days every three years for the tiger, snake, shin, and pig years old. On the last day, the mikoshi and the brave and splendid daimyo procession, the dainu, the elegant Kashima Odori, the street food dances to the Nagauta and shamisen of first-class entertainers, etc. are lined up in one and proceed gorgeously through the town of Shimada. The obi festival, which has been preserved and handed down since the Edo period, is a gorgeous festival where beautiful traditional performing arts live on like Genroku picture scrolls.