Nishinomiya Shrine

Nishinomiya Shrine in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, is known locally as "Nishinomiya no Ebessan". It enshrines Ebisu, a god of business prosperity, and during the Toka Ebisu festival each January it draws over a million visitors in three days. It is only a few minutes on foot from Hanshin Nishinomiya Station.

According to shrine tradition, a fisherman from Naruo pulled up a statue of the deity, and it was enshrined here after an oracle. The shrine was burned in 1534 and rebuilt around 1604-1609 by Toyotomi Hideyori. The vermilion Omotemon gate and the long Onerihei plaster wall, about 247 m, are Important Cultural Properties.

On the morning of January 10, runners dash about 230 m from the gate to the main hall, and the first three to arrive are named "Fuku-otoko" (men of fortune). The shrine is about 5 minutes on foot from Hanshin Nishinomiya Station and open from early morning. Allow about an hour, and visit outside the festival days to avoid the crowds.