Ōtoshi-sha 大歳社

Official explanation

Ōtoshi-sha is the fourth and last stop in the Hattatsu Mairi ritual. This shrine is dedicated to Ōtoshi no Kami, a harvest god in Shinto mythology. He is the older brother of Inari, the deity enshrined at Tanekashi-sha and Nankun-sha.

Visiting Ōtoshi-sha completes the Hattatsu Mairi’s symbolic progression from planting (represented by the “seed” shrine, Tanekashi-sha), through nurturing (Nankun-sha) to reaping (Ōtoshi-sha)—or, to extend the metaphor from farming to business, from initial investment to eventual success. One travel guidebook written during the Edo period (1603–1867) says Osaka merchants would pray at Ōtoshi-sha when they were having trouble collecting debts.

Read the full explanation

Ōtoshi-sha is the last stop in the Hattatsu Mairi.

Hattatsu Mairi hours: 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Prayer donation: 1,000 yen

Ōtoshi-sha is associated with the rewards of working hard to create a business. Visitors performing the more complex Minori Mairi rite can exchange the sacred stalk of rice for a bag of white rice, which should be eaten on the day the rite is completed for maximum spiritual benefit.

Ōtoshi-sha is devoted to Ōtoshi no Kami, a Shinto harvest god and the older brother of Uka no Mitama no Mikoto, who is enshrined at Tanekashi-sha and Nankun-sha. One guidebook from the Edo period (1603–1867) says Osaka merchants would pray at this shrine when they were having trouble collecting the money owed to them.

Next to Ōtoshi-sha is a small shrine where visitors can use a set of stones called Omokaru-ishi to perform a ritual that tells whether their wishes will come true.

Shrine Four: Ōtoshi-sha

Ōtoshi-sha is the final shrine of the Hattatsu Mairi. It is dedicated to a harvest god, Ōtoshi no Kami, who is the older brother of the deities enshrined at Tanekashi-sha and Nankun-sha. He is associated with Ōkuninushi, one of the central deities in Shinto, and with the New Year.

As the final stop of the Hattatsu Mairi, Ōtoshi-sha represents the success that follows a wise investment and the proper nurturing of a business. One guidebook from the Edo period (1603–1867) says Osaka merchants would pray at the shrine when they were having trouble collecting the money they were owed.

Visiting Ōtoshi-sha completes the symbolic progression from planting (represented by the “seed” shrine Tanekashi-sha), through nurturing crops (Nankun-sha), to reaping a harvest. Those performing the Minori Mairi, having exchanged their rice seed for a stalk at Nankun-sha, may exchange the stalk for a bag of rice at Ōtoshi-sha. Next to the main shrine at Ōtoshi-sha are the Omokaru-ishi, fortune-telling stones that are used to predict whether one’s wishes will come true.

Ōtoshi-sha is open to Hattatsu Mairi practitioners from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The minimum offering for the rite is 1,000 yen, which covers Asazawa-sha as well.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.