With the town hall, schools, residential and commercial areas built and settlement complete, Ogata Village was inaugurated on October 1st, 1964. Eventually residents began to wish for a shrine as a symbol of their solidarity. Around the same time, in 1973, Ise Grand Shrine held its 60th reconstruction ceremony. The next year, with the permission and cooperation of those involved, they inherited the old materials from Takihara no Narabi no Miya Shrine at Ise Grand Shrine. Using these materials, Ogata Shrine was built in 1978. Three deities are enshrined at Ogata Shrine: the sun goddess, Amaterasu Okami, ancestor of the Imperial household; the god of fertility, Toyouke no Okami; and the founder of Hachiro Lagoon, Hachirotaro no Okami. Ogata Shrine’s yearly festival is held on September 10th, with a procession of the portable shrine through the village, and ritual sumo matches.
