Time and Watch Culture: Insights from Omi Jingu’s Chief Priest Amitani
Omi Jingu
Where Clocks and Prayer Meet: Visiting the Sacred Site of Time
At the Online Watch Academy, we are dedicated to passing the appeal and culture of mechanical watches on to the future. A core part of that journey is to return to cultural origins and deepen our learning.
With that in mind, we visited Omi Jingu in Shiga Prefecture, the sacred site of Japan’s ”Time Memorial Day.” Omi Jingu is a shrine dedicated to Emperor Tenji (also romanized as Tenchi), Japan’s 38th emperor, who reigned approximately 1,360 years ago.
In this article, we interview Chief Priest Amitani of Omi Jingu, who also serves as principal of the Omi Horological Institute. We explore the preservation of watch culture and his message to the world, the role of a shrine as a place that connects prayer with industry, and the thoughts he hopes to hand down to the future.
(Left) Instructor Fujimoto, Online Watch Academy; (Right) Chief Priest Amitani, Omi Jingu
The Shrine’s Role and Its Mission for the Future
According to Chief Priest Amitani, the shrine has three major roles.
First, it serves as a sanctuary of prayer, where people convey their worries and
wishes to the deities and seek peace of mind.
Second, it must properly honor the deeds of the enshrined deity and the shrine’s
history, traditions, and culture, and pass them on to future generations.
Third, it must maintain and preserve ancient Japanese culture, represented by
the shrine buildings and the sacred grove of trees within the precincts, through
daily care.
In fulfilling that role, Omi Jingu’s mission is to convey the achievements of Emperor Tenji and the significance of founding the shrine in Otsu to the next generation.
The Daily Duty of Maintaining “Purity”
“Purity” is paramount at the shrine. He personally wipes down the main sanctuary each day and, together with the staff, cleans the grounds.
He emphasizes that in rituals, it is essential to prepare the buildings and conduct ceremonies in a pure state.
Clock and Treasure Museum (exterior):
Established in 1963 as Japan's first clock museum, the Clock and Treasure Museum exhibits traditional Japanese clocks (wadokei) and foreign-made pocket watches on the first floor, and cultural treasures on the second floor.
Sundial: A sundial installed in the shrine grounds. As a traditional timekeeping device that tells the time by the shadow of the sun, it attracts the attention of visitors.
Ancient Fire Clock: A reconstructed model of a fire clock. It measures time by burning incense or thread, and is a precious example of an analog timekeeping device still preserved in the shrine grounds.
”Nakaima” and the Philosophy of Time
The word ”nakaima” appears in a proclamation (senmyo) issued by Emperor Monmu, the 41st emperor of Japan, who succeeded Emperor Tenji, and is an important concept in Shinto thought.
It carries two meanings: first, that each moment is irreversible and we are called to live fully in the present; second, that our existence rests on the efforts and lives of countless ancestors, and we have a responsibility to pass that flow on to future generations. (A proclamation, also called a senmyo, was a document used in the Nara period to convey the emperor’ s orders.)
In addition, because Emperor Tenji established a water clock (rokoku) to measure time and, for the first time, announced the hours using bells and drums, June 10 was designated as Time Memorial Day. Omi Jingu still celebrates this day to convey the preciousness of time.
The Rokokusai and the Meaning of Clock Offerings
On June 10, the Rokokusai is held, where industry figures from Japan and abroad dedicate newly made clocks in honor of Emperor Tenji’s initiation of time signaling with the ancient water clock and in gratitude to the deity who presides over time.
Chief Priest Amitani spoke about the special nature of dedicating modern clocks in a ceremony that traces its roots back to the ancient water clock, highlighting the unique charm of this ritual.
The Rokokusai is a unique ritual unlike any other shrine’s, allowing visitors to experience both the aesthetic appeal of the water clock and the evolution of modern timepieces, all at once.
Known also as the sacred site of competitive karuta (the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), Omi Jingu attracts many international visitors, and its recognition as a hub for watch culture continues to grow.
Rokoku (Water Clock): This reproduction is based on the water clock said to have been built by Emperor Tenji. It is a precious symbol of Japan’s "origin of time."
Bugaku dedicated during the Rokokusai at Omi Jingu.
Omi Horological Institute and Learning Amid Nature
Operated by Omi Jingu, the Omi Horological Institute opened in 1969 and has built a history of more than half a century.
The chief priest, who also serves as principal, remarked that training in mechanical watchmaking and guiding each student’s personal approach share common ground.
The school is located near Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa, and its learning environment—surrounded by rich natural beauty—has often been compared to watchmaking schools in Switzerland.
Students acquire not only watchmaking skills but also an appreciation of Japanese traditional culture, and its graduates are active throughout Japan. Some families even see two generations enrolling.
Given the historic facilities, the school is considering the introduction of new equipment and hopes to welcome even more learners.
Inside Omi Horological Institute
Message to International Learners
In recent years, students from China have also studied here, making this a valuable place of learning for visitors from abroad.
Located near Lake Biwa, Omi Jingu offers an environment where learners can master watchmaking skills while experiencing both nature and culture.
To overseas watch enthusiasts who wish to experience Japanese tradition and craftsmanship, Chief Priest Amitani offered a warm invitation: ”Please do visit.”
A Deity Who Links Culture and Industry
Emperor Tenji is known as a deity who promotes diverse industries—from the petroleum-related Nensuisai (a Shinto ritual for safety and prosperity, giving thanks for crude oil and bitumen) to competitive karuta (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu) and horological culture.
Introducing him as Ame-mikoto-hirakasu-wake-no-okami, a deity of fortune and pioneering, Chief Priest Amitani expressed gratitude for the many worshippers who pray for the development of culture and industry.
Omi Jingu is both a place of prayer and a hub expected to play an important role worldwide in opening up the future of watch culture and industry.
Omi Jingu (precincts)
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For more information about Omi Jingu Shrine and the Watch School introduced in this article, please see below.
This article was produced by the Online Watch Academy (OWA) as part of its activities to convey the appeal of watch culture to the future.