A woman dedicates timepieces at the Omi Shrine at the Water Clock Festival on June 10 in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. (©Kyodo)
The Water Clock Festival was held at Omi Shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture on June 10, a day known as "Time Memorial Day" in Japan. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Tenji, who, according to The Nihon Shoki, oversaw the first telling of time by a water clock in 671 AD.
Appreciating Time
During the festival, the priest reported the advancement of clocks to the shrine's deity and prayed for their further development. People in the timepiece industry and tourism ambassadors for Otsu also participated, dressed in traditional court costumes.
They dedicated new products from domestic timepiece makers to the shrine. Chief Priest Michihiro Amitani remarked, "We are sustained within the flow of many lives. I hope everyone reconsiders the importance of time and cherishes it."
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
