Omatsuri Festival

Omatsuri

Omatsuri – means “a festival” in Japanese is a traditional community celebration giving thanks for a rich harvest, good health, community , harmony and respect for the ancestors. It is an important cultural festival that originates back several hundred years and continues to this day to Japan.

The first event was held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2011 and it attracted over 1200 guests. Omatsuri offers something for all ages: traditional Japanese food, a wide variety of entertainment and cultural demonstrations.

The “Omokoshi” is a shrine that is carried by a team of people and parade around a Red Torii -mini shrine gate- to the beat of the Taiko drummers. This parade is a traditional and unique feature of Omatsuri. There is no absolute origin story of the portable shrine. Others call it “Mikoshi”. The word mikoshi is divided into two words, ‘mi’ adds politeness and ‘koshi’ means a palanquin.

Calgary Japanese Festival “Omatsuri” could be found here.