Category: Otaki
-
Like Nowhere on Earth
Otaki is in a realm of its own. I first came here back in 2007 to climb Ontake-san. This sacred peak was unlike any I’d climbed before. At the time I wrote, “shrines and gods of stone and brass cover her rugged body like scattered jewels.” These were signs of faith of the people below,…
-
Otaki’s Future
Otaki is a magical corner of the world. Like the rest of rural Japan though, a combination of plummeting birth rates and urban flight has led to a crisis. The village population now hovers around 650 (as of 2025). With the majority of the residents being seniors, it looks certain to fall further still. The…
-
Summer Festival
Otaki’s summer festival, the Reitai-sai takes place over two days every year at the end of July. It starts off with ceremonies at Ontake Satomiya Shrine, followed by a long procession of villagers in colorful costumes parading down to the village. A group of young men dressed in white shoulder an omikoshi, or portable shrine, bringing the god…
-
Off to Market
Spring has settled in and the village farmers are out working the fields in force. The rice has been planted, as well as all the early crops like peas and a huge array of greens. Though not much is ready to harvest yet, this hasn’t stopped the village market from starting back up. Ontake Asa-ichi、the “Ontake…
Otaki Experience 