Hikawa Shrine, or generally called Omiya Hikawa Shrine, located in Takahana-cho, Omiya-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture is one of the largest shrines in the prefecture, which receives more than 100,000 visitors on New Year’s Day every year.
The enshrined deities are Susanoo no Mikoto, Inadahime no Mikoto and Onamuchi no Mikoto. The shrine is so old as to be listed on Jinmyocho (the list of deities) of Engishiki (codes and procedures on national rites and prayers written in the Heian period). It is Honja (the head shrine) of more than 280 Hikawa shrines in Saitama, Tokyo and Kanagawa prefectures.
According to the shrine record, this shrine was founded about 2,400 years ago during the reign of Emperor Kosho. The area around the shrine was developed by the Izumo tribe and the name “Hikawa” is said to have been derived from the town of “Hikawa,” a part of present-day Izumo City.
Hikawa Shrine was designated as chokusaisha (the shrine attended by imperial envoy) by Emperor Meiji when the capital was relocated to Tokyo in 1868. In this year, shinsai (an Imperial Household rite) was held by the Emperor himself. Since then utamai (music and dance) performed by the music department of the Imperial Household Agency has been dedicated at the annual festivals.