Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Midori No.1 Hikami Anego Jinja Part 3
Hikami Anego Shrine Part 3 — Tamane Shrine and the Odaka Sacred Rice Field
On August 11, 2026, after visiting Hikami Anego Shrine and its Motomiya, I also visited nearby Tamane Shrine and the Odaka Saiden, the sacred rice field of Atsuta Jingu.
Part 1 recorded the present Hikami Anego Shrine, while Part 2 focused on the Motomiya, traditionally regarded as the shrine's sacred site before its relocation in 690.
Part 3 focuses on Tamane Shrine, a subsidiary shrine of Hikami Anego Shrine, and the Odaka Saiden, where rice used in rituals and festivals at Atsuta Jingu is grown.
Tamane Shrine enshrines Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, a deity traditionally associated with medicine, healing, and sake brewing.
The Odaka Saiden lies nearby. When I visited on August 11, green rice plants covered the field.
Photographic Record of Tamane Shrine and the Odaka Saiden
001 Information Sign for Tamane Shrine
This information sign identifies Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto as the deity of Tamane Shrine and explains the deity's traditional association with medicine and sake brewing. Tamane Shrine is a subsidiary shrine of Hikami Anego Shrine.
002 Grounds of Tamane Shrine
This is the small precinct of Tamane Shrine, surrounded by trees near Hikami Anego Shrine. A stone lantern stands on the right side.
003 Shrine Building of Tamane Shrine
This is the shrine building of Tamane Shrine, where Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto is enshrined.
004 Trees and Stone Purification Basin at Tamane Shrine
Trees surround the small shrine building. The stone purification basin had a wooden cover placed over it.
005 Stone Purification Basin at Tamane Shrine
This photograph shows the stone purification basin from another angle. According to information published by the City of Nagoya, one theory holds that Tamane Shrine stands on the site of an ancient burial mound.
006 Rice Growing in the Odaka Saiden
This is the Odaka Saiden on August 11, 2026. Green rice plants covered the field, with large trees around its edges. Rice grown here is used for festivals and Shinto rituals at Atsuta Jingu.
007 Sign Marking “Atsuta Jingu Odaka Saiden”
A wooden sign in the field reads “Atsuta Jingu Odaka Saiden.” Rice grows on both sides of the narrow path, clearly identifying the field as a sacred rice field connected with Atsuta Jingu.
About Tamane Shrine
| Name | Tamane Shrine |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Subsidiary shrine of Hikami Anego Shrine |
| Location | Odaka-cho, Midori Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, near Hikami Anego Shrine |
| Deity | Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto |
| Traditional Associations | Medicine, healing, and sake brewing |
| Foundation | The detailed foundation date has not been confirmed. |
| Shrine Site | One theory holds that the shrine stands on the site of an ancient burial mound. |
Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto — The Deity of Tamane Shrine
Tamane Shrine enshrines Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto.
In Japanese mythology, Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto is known as a deity who worked together with Okuninushi-no-Mikoto in the development of the land.
The deity is also widely associated with medicine, healing from illness, and sake brewing.
| Deity / Tradition | Overview |
|---|---|
| Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto | A deity in Japanese mythology who is said to have worked with Okuninushi-no-Mikoto in developing the land. |
| Medicine | Traditionally associated with medicine, healing, and recovery from illness. |
| Sake Brewing | Also worshipped as a deity associated with sake brewing. |
| Tamane Shrine | Tamane Shrine enshrines Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto as a subsidiary shrine of Hikami Anego Shrine. |
Odaka and the History of Sake Brewing
Sake brewing was already established in Odaka during the early modern period, and records concerning licensed sake production survive from 1697.
Sake breweries still operate in Odaka today.
The worship of Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, who is also associated with sake brewing, therefore overlaps with an important part of the local history of Odaka.
However, the specific circumstances surrounding the foundation of Tamane Shrine have not been confirmed.
Tamane Shrine and Hikami Anego Shrine
Tamane Shrine is a subsidiary shrine of Hikami Anego Shrine.
Hikami Anego Shrine enshrines Miyasuhime-no-Mikoto as its principal deity, while Tamane Shrine enshrines Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto.
Although both belong to the same wider religious landscape, Tamane Shrine reflects traditions more directly associated with everyday life, including medicine and sake brewing.
Information published by the City of Nagoya also states that one theory identifies the site of Tamane Shrine as an ancient burial mound. The date of the mound and the identity of any person buried there have not been confirmed in the materials reviewed for this article.
What Is the Odaka Saiden?
Near Tamane Shrine is the Odaka Saiden of Atsuta Jingu.
In Japanese Shinto tradition, a saiden is a sacred rice field used to grow rice for offerings and religious ceremonies.
At the Odaka Saiden, the cycle from planting to harvesting remains connected with the annual rituals of Atsuta Jingu.
The Odaka Saiden Was Established in 1932
The Odaka Saiden was established in 1932, and the Otaue rice-planting festival began there the following year, in 1933.
While the Hikami Anego Shrine area preserves traditions reaching back to ancient Japan, the present Odaka Saiden has a clearly documented 20th-century origin.
From Mita Shrine to the Odaka Saiden
The Odaka Saiden is connected with agricultural rituals held at Mita Shrine within the main precincts of Atsuta Jingu.
Rice seedlings offered before the deity during the rice-planting ritual at Mita Shrine are later taken to the Odaka Saiden and planted in the sacred field.
After the rice matures, it is harvested in autumn and used in festivals and rituals at Atsuta Jingu.
The Odaka Saiden Otaue Festival in June
The Otaue Festival is held at the Odaka Saiden on the fourth Sunday of June each year.
During the ceremony, traditional rice-planting songs are performed and women known as saotome perform a ceremonial rice-field dance before the seedlings are planted.
I visited on August 11, about a month and a half after the Otaue Festival, when the rice plants had already grown substantially across the field.
The Nukiho Harvest Festival on September 28
On September 28, the Nukiho Festival marks the harvesting of rice from the Odaka Saiden.
The harvested rice is offered as shinsen — sacred food presented to the deities — during festivals and rituals at Atsuta Jingu.
The Odaka Saiden That Remains Today
Atsuta Jingu once had other rice fields connected with its agricultural rituals.
There was also a sacred rice field in Kaho-cho, Mizuho Ward, Nagoya, but urban development eventually made continued rice planting there impossible.
Today, the Odaka Saiden remains the sacred rice field where Atsuta Jingu's Otaue rice-planting festival continues to be held.
Historical Timeline of Tamane Shrine and the Odaka Saiden
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Foundation unknown | The detailed foundation date of Tamane Shrine has not been confirmed. The shrine enshrines Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, and one theory holds that it stands on the site of an ancient burial mound. |
| 1697 | Records concerning licensed sake production in Odaka are known from this year. |
| 1932 | The Odaka Saiden of Atsuta Jingu was established. |
| 1933 | The Otaue rice-planting festival began at the Odaka Saiden. |
| Fourth Sunday of June |
The annual Odaka Saiden Otaue Festival is held. |
| September 28 | The annual Nukiho Festival is held, and harvested rice is used as sacred offerings in rituals and festivals at Atsuta Jingu. |
| Today | Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto continues to be worshipped at Tamane Shrine, while rice for rituals at Atsuta Jingu continues to be cultivated at the Odaka Saiden. |
Hikami Anego Shrine Part 3 — Tamane Shrine and a Living Rice-Growing Tradition
Part 1 recorded the present Hikami Anego Shrine, while Part 2 explored the Motomiya, traditionally regarded as its former sacred site.
For Part 3, I visited Tamane Shrine, where Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto is enshrined, and the nearby Odaka Saiden of Atsuta Jingu.
On August 11, 2026, green rice plants covered the Odaka Saiden.
Around Hikami Anego Shrine, ancient traditions exist alongside Shinto agricultural rituals that continue to be practiced today.
Japanese Stone Tableware, Vases & Chozubachi for Sale — Handmade Stone Creations from Japan
Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Midori No.1 Hikami Anego Jinja Part 1
Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Midori No.1 Hikami Anego Jinja Part 2
Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Midori No.1 Hikami Anego Jinja Part 3
Recorded on August 11, 2026
Written on August 12, 2026