According to tradition, the ancestors of the Ogami clan were able to calm the first epidemic in Japan and this belief has been passed down through the generations to the present-day Ōmiwa Shrine.

Recent research has shed light on the role and significance of the Ogami clan in ancient royal power and rituals.

[4] During an epidemic in Japan Emperor Sujin was given guidance in the form of a dream to seek out a man named Ōtataneko [ja] (太田田根子) and appoint him as head priest.

[5] Out of an abundance of caution, the Emperor also appointed Ikagashikoo (伊香色雄) as kami-no-mono-akatsu-hito (神班物者), or one who sorts the offerings to the gods.

From their descendants, medieval warriors such as Ogata, Ono, and Anan were born,[clarification needed] and during the Sengoku period, they played a part in the military power of the Otomo clan, the feudal lords in Kyushu.