Omiki

Amulets & Lucky Charms

Omikiomiki / 御神酒

Sake offered to the gods at shrines, later shared with worshippers as a form of communion with the divine.

Omiki is sake offered before the gods, considered one of the highest forms of offering. While clear sake (seishu) is standard today, ancient offerings used unfiltered rice wine (doburoku). The word itself elevates the sacredness of alcohol in the context of worship.

After being offered to the gods, omiki is shared among participants in a ceremony called "naorai" — based on the concept of "shinjin-kyōshoku" (gods and humans sharing a meal), where consuming the same food as the deity imparts divine power. The "san-san-kudo" sake exchange in Shinto weddings is also an omiki ritual, symbolizing the binding of two people through sacred sake. The sugidama (cedar ball) hung outside sake breweries originates from Ōmiwa Shrine's sacred cedar tree, connecting Japan's brewing tradition directly to Shinto worship.