| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-5523-3955 |
| Notes | |
| Location / Getting There | The shrine is a 24 minute walk north from Obihiro station, or a 7 minute drive by car. Obihiro Shrine is right by Obihiro river, and is accessed via route 38. East 2 South 2. From Obihiro Station Bus Terminal Station No.8, take the Tokachi bus (No.7) on the 'Water Line Higashi 13' (Obihiro City). From the General Promotion Bureau stop it's a 2 minute walk. 〒080-0803 Hokkaido, Obihiro, Higashi 3 Jominami, 2 Chome, 1 |
In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the “Bansei-sha”. This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. In March 1909, a town meeting was held and five members decided to relocate and build the Obihiro Shrine. Over the past hundred years, this shrine has developed, been renovated and welcomed thousands of worshippers.
The shrine is located by the Obihiro River and although the buses don’t run that often, it is in a walkable distance. Once inside the grounds, there are many things to see besides the main shrine. There are numerous shrines and buildings. The area is also rich in greenery and the land was designated as an environmental green space protection area in Hokkaido in 1974. The grounds are also home to many small animals and wild birds such as Ezo squirrels, chipmunks, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and starlings to name a few. This area has some statues and is a good spot for photos. At the shrine, you can buy souvenirs and charms to take home. Throughout the year there are many festivals held. For more detail see below.
| 1st and 15th of every month | Prayers for the safety of the Imperial Family, peace for the nation, and peace for the Urahoro worshippers. |
| January 1 | New Years Day. Prayer for the safety of the Imperial Family, peace for the nation, and a good harvest for the year. |
| January 15 | The burning of old Shinto prayer cards and charms. Prayer for good health. On the day before the first day of spring, there is the purification the evil spirits. The doors of the main shrine are opened to offer thanks to the Milk God and prayer for spring. |
| June 30 | Grand purification ceremony and Nagoshi-no-harai (summer purification). A Shinto ritual to purge the sins and impurities of the past six months and pray for good health. |
| August | On the evening before the last Sunday of the month, There is the summer portable shrine procession festival (Mikoshi & Yoimiya Festival). The portable shrine is purified the night before the main festival, and the gods are notified that the big festival will be held tomorrow. On the last Sunday of the month, the portable shrine will be paraded through the town to pray for the safety of each family and the prosperity of each company. |
| September 20 | Autumn Grand Festival Prayers and dedication events are held for the Ujigami (local deity), which has been handed down from the pioneers. The doors of the main shrine are opened to offer thanks to the Goddess of Milk and pray for the autumn. The god of the land and the god of agriculture are invited to give thanks for the year's harvest and to pray for the safety. Prayers are offered to the gods for the healthy growth of children who are three, five, and seven years old. Prayers are offered for the harvest and labor to the gods of the 24 shrines in Urahoro Town. |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve Purification Ceremony and Nightfall Festival is held to purify the sins and impurities of the year from the body and soul using dolls, and to pray for good health in the New Year. |
| December 30 to January 5 | The shrine grounds are illuminated. |
