Oarai Town is the best place in the northern Kanto region to have the first shrine visit of the year and see the first sunrise of the year. Spend the beginning of the New Year in Oarai
The first shrine visit and sunrise of the year at Kamiiso in Oarai Town, the place where the deities of the Oarai Isosaki Shrine descended. On New Year’s Day each year, the chief priest descends to Kamiiso to pray to the first sunrise of the year over the Pacific Ocean. Seeing the first sunrise of the year from the Kamiiso no Torii is mysterious, beautiful, and unbelievable. You can see the first sunrise of the year from the sea, or if you’re staying at an inn overlooking the ocean, you can see it from there. Indulge in delicious food, relax in the hot springs, reflect on the past year, and watch the first sunrise of the year. It’s a remarkable experience that nourishes both the body and soul. Welcome the New Year in Oarai
Winter, [from January 1]
Note: To alleviate heavy traffic congestion on New Year’s Day, please disperse your visit to the shrine.
*The sunrise is always beautiful, so we ask for your cooperation in easing the crowds.
Have your first shrine visit of the year at Oarai and start the new year feeling new.
Ibaraki Prefecture, which flourished as the Mito Tokugawa family’s capital, has numerous shrines and temples with a long histories.
One of them is Oarai Isosaki Shrine, which is bustling with many people every year.
See here for details on having the first shrine visit of the year at Oarai Isosaki Shrine.
Oarai Town is situated along the Pacific Ocean, offering several popular spots to view the first sunrise of the year. In particular, the Kamiiso no Torii at Oarai Isosaki Shrine, where it is said that deities descended in 856, in the early Heian period, attracts many visitors every year to see the sunrise from the torii. Here, beautiful sunrises can be seen throughout the year. These days, many people visit not only on January 1, but throughout the year.
《Recommended sunrise spots》
*See this site for sunrise times
We recommend staying at an accommodation in Oarai during the year-end and New Year’s holidays. You can see the first sunrise of the year from an inn overlooking the ocean. Inns in the town offer excellent access to Oarai Isosaki Shrine, so you can make your first shrine of the year easily. Spend the end of the year and welcome the new one in Oarai
Click here to book an accommodation
