Miike Hatsuichi is a spring market which announces the arrival of the spring to Omuta. It is said to have originated from the barter trade of farming tools, rice and vegetables along Miike Kaido Road during the Edo Era (1603 – 1867). The market has a roughly 300 year history and there is a saying, “If you feel a breeze at Hatsuichi, you won’t catch a cold all year!”
The market takes place on March 1 and 2, during which time about 200 stalls selling local specialties like flower and bamboo baskets, saplings, garden trees and food line the road.