Our town name,

Obuse, derives from the word ose, a reference to our location at the confluence of the Chikumagawa and Matsukawa Rivers. As the symbol of Obuse, the Ose Shrine will serve as site for the marathon registration desk. Come to think of it, our race theme of running for fun while sightseeing brings us right back to our roots: run day view... which is synonamous with the origins of Obuse. (Ose=to have a date or appointment, a rendez-vous.)
To ensure a safe completion of the race and as a memento of the event, each participant will receive an Ose Jinja Shrine amulet. The god of Ose Jinja originally was the guardian of an estate. This god later became protector for the entire village, and at one time was known as Suwa Jinja. But during the Meiji period anti-Buddhist movement the name was changed to Ose Jinja, which remains to this day. By the way, the original estate belonged to the ancestor of Yuichi Nakajo of Higashi-machi. Thank you.