Since ancient times, Hachiman Jinja Shrine in Obama has been considered one of the most important shrines in the Wakasa region, ranked only below Wakasa Ichinomiya Shrine (now Wakasahiko and Wakasahime Shrines) in terms of reverence from the community. On the third weekend in September, Hachiman Shrine holds its annual Obama Hoze Festival. It is the largest autumn festival in the region and its elegance and scale represent the spirit of the people of Obama.
Several folk performances are offered to the deities during the event, many of which were originally part of a different festival called the Gion Goryo-e at Hiromine Shrine in the Chikusa district of Obama. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the performances were transferred to Hachiman Shrine to be part of their hojo-e (release of living beings) ritual. In 1874, the content and organization of events underwent drastic changes when government officials restructured the city’s district lines.
In the present, roles for the festival are divided amongst twenty-four neighborhoods. Five perform with large odaiko drums, nine create and pull parade floats, four perform a type of lion dance (shishimai) called Unpin Jishi, five perform sacred kagura songs or dances, and one oversees the mikoshi portable shrine. The neighborhoods take part in the festival on an alternating schedule, with twelve of them performing each year. During the Hoze Festival, participants travel through the city performing lively music and traditional dances in front of headquarters in each neighborhood, local businesses, and Hachiman Shrine.
