As the most sacred site in the Ryukyus, Sefa Utaki has been passed down to us today. The origins of Sefa Utaki date back to the legendary time of the creation of the Ryukyus.

"At the beginning of heaven, the great god of the sun shined beautifully. At the beginning of heaven the great god of the sun, the sacred sun, looked down from above. Gazing from enshrinement, the sun god commanded the creator goddess, Amamikiyo, and the male god, Shinerikiyo, to create the islands, the nations, the many islands, the many nations."

By command of the sun god to the two gods, the islands and nations were created. Like in a ballad, this is the creation myth of the Ryukyus. The gods first made the sacred groves, the Utaki, in each region of the Ryukyus. One of those was Sefa Utaki.

The village of Chinen^* and its neighboring village, Tamagusuku^*, are locales deeply related to the gods of myths. They were later the location of important religious events of the royal court. Folklore has it that wheat and millet originated on Chinen Village's^* Kudaka Island and that rice cultivation was first carried out using the Ukinju Hainju waters from the Hamagawa River in Tamagusuku Village^*. Sefa Utaki and the adjacent regions are deeply related to the genesis of the Ryukyus, existing even today as sacred precincts.

After the Sanzan Kingdoms were unified and the royal court was established, the Chinen Tamagusuku region, even though divided, was the location of two important religious events of prayer, called the Ugariumai and Oaraori, centered in Sefa Utaki.

Since ancient times the regions we know as Chinen Village^*, Tamagusuku Village^*, Sashiki Town^* and Ozato Village^* and part of Yonabaru town were called Agariyu district and Agarikata and were intimately involved with the worship of the sun god. In the second month of the lunar calendar, when the ears of wheat come out, visits are made to Kudaka Island and when rice cultivation starts in the fourth month of the lunar calendar, the Utaki of Chinen and Tamagusuku are visited to pray for an abundance of staple grains. This is the basis of the Agariumai procession.

The Oaraori rites were assumption-of-duty ceremonies conducted for the supreme priestess, the Kikoe Ogimi, who served as head of the order of priestesses and lord of Chinen Magiri district. The position of Kikoe Ogimi was confirmed by Sho Shin, 3rd king of the Second Sho Dynasty, and was filled since that time. A queen or princess was appointed to the office of Kikoe Ogimi. The power of the Kikoe Ogimi, who presided over religious rites, was on a par with that of the king. Accordingly, the ceremony for Oaraori was unusually important and, at the same time, the lab or and costs related to the rites were large.

*Cause of merger, the city name changed to "Nanjo City" in January, 2006.