Dates:January 9th-11th
Place:Imamiya Ebisu Shrine
City: Naniwa-ku, Osaka City |
The sixth century Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, in Kansai, sees a million people pass through during the 3 day January festival to pray to Ebisu (“Ebessan” in the Kansai dialect), the god of business and wealth. You can buy a lucky bamboo frond (fukusasa) loaded with charms and coin talismans as a good luck charm for business prosperity.
This grand event has continued ever since the Edo Period when Osaka used to thrive as a commercial town. The 9th of January is called the Eve of Ebisu, while the 11th is know as the “Last Helping of Luck.” The highlight of the festival is “Toka Ebisu” (10th Ebisu) where there is the Good Luck Palanquin parade. Here 60- celebrities, geisha and fukumusume (good luck girls) give out lucky goods to the visitors.
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