Nishinomiya Shrine, located in Shakeyacho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, is a historic Shinto shrine renowned as the head shrine of approximately 3,500 Ebisu shrines throughout Japan. Known as the Grand Head Shrine of Ebisu, it is affectionately called “Nishinomiya no Ebessan” by local residents. Ebisu is widely worshipped as a deity of good fortune, business prosperity, and success in commerce, and the shrine attracts numerous visitors who come to pray for prosperity and good luck.
Beyond its religious significance, Nishinomiya Shrine is notable for its historic architecture, cultural properties, traditional festivals, and peaceful grounds. Its most famous event is Toka Ebisu, a major annual festival featuring the celebrated Lucky Man race, in which participants sprint toward the main sanctuary to seek good fortune for the coming year.
Several theories explain how the shrine came to be called Nishinomiya, meaning “Western Shrine.” One theory suggests that it was named for its location west of Naruo or the ancient Tsuto area, where Ebisu is believed to have first been worshipped. Another theory holds that the name originally referred to a group of shrines, including nearby Hirota Shrine, that received devotion from aristocrats traveling from Kyoto. As the worship of Ebisu grew in popularity, the name gradually became associated specifically with the shrine dedicated to Ebisu.
A further theory identifies Nishinomiya with Okuninushi Nishi Shrine, an ancient shrine recorded in the Engishiki, a compilation of laws and religious regulations from the Heian period. The precise historical relationship between these shrines remains a subject of discussion.
The principal deity is Ebisu Okami, also known as Nishinomiya Okami and Hiruko-no-Mikoto. Ebisu is traditionally revered as a deity associated with the sea, fishing, good fortune, and commercial prosperity.
The shrine’s main sanctuary has three connected sections. The first enshrines Ebisu Okami. The second enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess, and Okuninushi Okami, who was added to the sanctuary in the early Meiji period. The third enshrines Susanoo-no-Okami.
According to Japanese mythology, Hiruko-no-Mikoto was the first child of Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the divine creators of Japan. In the traditional story, the child was placed in a reed boat and set adrift. The classical chronicles provide little information about what happened afterward.
According to Nishinomiya Shrine’s own tradition, however, Hiruko-no-Mikoto drifted ashore off the coast of present-day Kobe. He became known as Ebisu Saburo-den and was worshipped as a deity of the sea. This legend forms an important part of the shrine’s religious identity and its connection with maritime communities.
The exact date of the shrine’s founding is unknown. According to shrine tradition, fishermen from Naruo recovered a sacred image of Hiruko-no-Mikoto that had appeared offshore near Wada Cape. They enshrined the image at a private residence, where a divine revelation was later received. Following the revelation, the image was moved westward and enshrined at the site that eventually became Nishinomiya Shrine.
Nishinomiya Shrine has been associated with Okuninushi Nishi Shrine, one of the shrines listed in the Engishiki. Although the subsidiary Okuninushi Nishi Shrine within the grounds is now recognized as the ancient shrine, another theory holds that Nishinomiya Shrine itself may have been the original site. The question remains unresolved, but the shrine may have occupied its present location since ancient times.
During the Heian period (794–1185), Nishinomiya Shrine was regarded as an auxiliary shrine outside the grounds of Hirota Shrine and was known as Hama no Nangū or Nangū Shrine. Its connections with Hirota Shrine and the Shirakawa family, a hereditary family associated with Shinto religious affairs, brought visits from members of the family and reflected the shrine’s established religious importance.
Toward the end of the Heian period, the name “Ebisu” began appearing in written records, marking the emergence of a more clearly defined Ebisu faith. A reference in the medieval anthology Ryōjin Hishō also mentions a Nangū shrine associated with Hirota Shrine, which is thought to have been a predecessor of today’s Nishinomiya Shrine.
During the medieval period, performers known as kugutsu, or puppet entertainers, lived near Nishinomiya Shrine. They traveled throughout Japan performing puppet shows featuring Ebisu and spreading stories about the deity’s blessings. Their activities helped popularize Ebisu worship across the country.
Hyakudaifu Shrine, located within the grounds of Nishinomiya Shrine, is associated with these puppet performers and was traditionally worshipped as their guardian deity.
Nishinomiya Shrine was destroyed by fire during warfare in 1534. In 1604, Toyotomi Hideyori sponsored the reconstruction of the Omote Daimon, the shrine’s magnificent front gate, also known as the Red Gate. The main sanctuary and worship hall were rebuilt between 1604 and 1609. In 1610, Hideyori also donated the sacred Ebisu Bell.
During the Edo period (1603–1868), the main sanctuary was rebuilt under the patronage of Tokugawa Ietsuna after another fire. The shrine also obtained permission from the Tokugawa shogunate to distribute printed images of Ebisu, helping to expand its influence and strengthen its position as the leading center of Ebisu worship.
In 1870, the shrine, previously known as Nishinomiya Ebisu Shrine, was renamed Okuninushi Nishi Shrine before eventually returning to the name Nishinomiya Shrine. On August 6, 1945, during the fifth air raid on Nishinomiya in World War II, a small bomb fell within the grounds, and the former National Treasure main sanctuary was destroyed by fire.
After the war, Nishinomiya Shrine was designated as a shrine listed in the special category of the Association of Shinto Shrines. Its main sanctuary and worship hall were reconstructed in November 1961. The shrine suffered significant damage in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, but restoration was completed in 2000.
The main sanctuary is built in the rare three-connected Kasuga-zukuri architectural style, in which three shrine buildings are joined together. The first, second, and third sanctuaries stand side by side from right to left when viewed from the front.
All three sections of the main sanctuary were reconstructed in November 1961. Their distinctive connected design is an important feature of the shrine’s architecture.
The worship hall was also reconstructed in November 1961. In 2024, renovation work was carried out to replace the copper roofing on both the main sanctuary and the worship hall, helping preserve these important religious buildings.
A bronze horse donated in 1899 is one of the notable objects on the shrine grounds. It was created by Sadayuki Goto, a sculptor known for his work on the horse accompanying the famous statue of Kusunoki Masashige in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The donation was made by Etsuso Tatsuma of the Hakutaka sake-brewing family.
The shrine office, rebuilt in 1998, houses an exhibition room dedicated to the worship of Ebisu. Visitors can see a collection of Ebisu statues, sacred images, small bells, and other objects associated with the deity’s worship throughout Japan.
Rokueido Hall was moved from Nunobiki in Kobe to the shrine grounds in 1977. The building originally formed part of the residence of Iwakura Tomomi in Marunouchi, Tokyo, and is associated with prominent figures of the Meiji Restoration, including Iwakura Tomomi, Sanjo Sanetomi, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi, Kido Takayoshi, and Ito Hirobumi.
The building is also traditionally associated with a visit by Emperor Meiji in 1883, when Iwakura Tomomi was seriously ill. Its history provides a connection between the shrine and the political transformation of Japan during the nineteenth century.
The Great Earthen Wall, known in Japanese as the Ōneribei, is a fortified earthen wall believed to date from the early Muromachi period (1336–1573). Extending approximately 247 meters, it is considered one of Japan’s oldest surviving examples of this type of wall.
Its robust construction has earned it a place among the country’s Three Great Earthen Walls, alongside the Nobunaga Wall at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya and the Taiko Wall at Sanjūsangendō Temple in Kyoto. The wall is designated an Important Cultural Property and is a major highlight of the shrine grounds.
The Omote Daimon is the impressive main gate reconstructed under the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyori in 1604. Its vivid vermilion finish has earned it the popular name Red Gate. The structure retains distinctive features of Momoyama-period architecture and is designated an Important Cultural Property.
Standing beside the long Great Earthen Wall, the gate creates a striking entrance that reflects the shrine’s historical importance.
The sacred Ebisu Bell was donated by Toyotomi Hideyori in 1610. Its inscription contains a well-known Buddhist verse expressing the impermanence of all things and the ideal of peace beyond the cycle of birth and death.
Historical records from the Edo period refer to a bell tower at the shrine, indicating that the bell played a role in important religious ceremonies from an early date.
Other features of the shrine grounds include a hall for portable shrines, a garden, a sacred horse stable, and a prayer hall. The grounds also contain Ebisu no Mori, a wooded area designated a Hyogo Prefectural Natural Monument. Its mature trees create a tranquil setting for visitors.
Two historic bridges, Zuihō Bridge and Kaiei Bridge, are registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. Their graceful designs and setting within the grounds add to the shrine’s architectural and scenic appeal. An auxiliary worship site for Ise Grand Shrine is also located here.
Numerous subsidiary shrines stand within and around Nishinomiya Shrine, reflecting the diversity of deities worshipped in Japanese Shinto tradition. Those within the grounds include Hōmusuhi Shrine, Hyakudaifu Shrine, Rokkōsan Shrine, Okuninushi Nishi Shrine, Shinmei Shrine, Matsuo Shrine, Ichikishima Shrine, Ugatama Shrine, Niwatsubi Shrine, Nangū Shrine, Okiebisu Shrine, and Umenomiya Shrine.
Nangū Shrine is associated with Hirota Shrine as an auxiliary shrine outside its grounds. Other nearby subsidiary shrines include Sumiyoshi Shrine and Nishinomiya Hama Ebisu Shrine.
Toka Ebisu, held over three days around January 10, is one of the largest traditional festivals in the Kansai region. Dedicated to Ebisu, the deity of good fortune and business prosperity, the festival attracts enormous crowds seeking blessings for the coming year. More than 800 food and merchandise stalls line the grounds, and total attendance exceeds one million visitors during the festival period.
The main festival schedule is as follows:
January 9 – Yoi Ebisu: The eve of the main festival, featuring the Arima Onsen Sacred Hot Spring Offering Ceremony and other religious observances.
January 10 – Hon Ebisu: The main festival day, featuring the principal Toka Ebisu ceremony and the famous Lucky Man race.
January 11 – Nokori Fuku: Known as the “Remaining Fortune” day, when visitors continue to pray for good luck and prosperity.
The Lucky Man race, officially called the Toka Ebisu Opening-Gate Lucky Man Selection Ceremony, is the festival’s best-known event. After the main religious ceremony at 4:00 a.m. on January 10, the Omote Daimon opens at 6:00 a.m. Participants then race approximately 230 meters toward the main sanctuary.
The first three people to reach the designated finish area and be acknowledged by the waiting shrine priests are recognized as the year’s First, Second, and Third Lucky Men. They are believed to receive special good fortune for the year ahead.
The event is thought to have developed from the custom of igomori, a period of ritual seclusion practiced between the Muromachi and Edo periods. In the past, residents of Nishinomiya avoided going outdoors on the night of January 9 and visited the shrine the following morning after ritual purification.
When Nishinomiya Station on the Hanshin Electric Railway opened in 1905, worshippers began arriving not only from the local area but also from Osaka and Kobe. A newspaper article from 1913 already described the special attention given to the first person to arrive at the shrine, a custom that is believed to have developed into today’s Lucky Man race.
Thousands of participants gather outside the Red Gate before dawn. When the gate opens, they sprint toward the main sanctuary, navigating bends and slopes along the route. More than 2,000 people participate in a typical year, and since 2009, the number attempting the race has often reached approximately 6,000.
Although women are permitted to participate, no woman has yet been named First Lucky Man. The race is an extraordinary spectacle that combines religious tradition, local identity, and intense competition.
Another well-known Toka Ebisu tradition is the Shōfuku Ōmaguro Hōnō, or Great Tuna Offering for Good Fortune. Since 1970, organizations associated with the Kobe East Wholesale Market have presented a large tuna to the shrine on January 8, praying for abundant catches and business prosperity.
The tuna is typically around three meters long and weighs approximately 300 kilograms. It is displayed near the worship hall as the “Lucky Tuna,” where visitors place coins on its frozen head and back. The custom symbolizes the wish that money will “stick” to the worshipper, bringing financial success and prosperity.
After the Toka Ebisu festival ends, the tuna is cut up and distributed among the people involved in the offering.
Held every January 9, the Arima Onsen Sacred Hot Spring Offering Ceremony expresses prayers for the prosperity of Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s historic hot spring resorts, as well as for business success and good fortune.
The celebrated golden-colored mineral spring water known as Kinsen is carried from Arima Onsen to Nishinomiya Shrine in traditional wooden containers. The ceremony began in 1995 and has become an established part of the Toka Ebisu festivities.
During the ceremony, geisha from Arima Onsen perform yumomi, a traditional method of stirring hot spring water while accompanying musicians play the Yumomi Taiko rhythm. The ritual represents the adjustment of the water’s temperature.
One local custom involves placing a one-yen coin in the offered Kinsen water and praying for good fortune.
Held on June 30, Nagoshi no Ōharae is a traditional Shinto purification ceremony marking the midpoint of the year. Participants pray to be cleansed of misfortune and spiritual impurities accumulated over the previous six months and ask for continued health and well-being. A central feature is passing through a large ring made of woven grass, known as a chinowa.
The shrine’s annual festival is held on October 14. Religious ceremonies and traditional observances bring together local residents and worshippers, reaffirming the shrine’s enduring role in the community.
The Omote Daimon, or Red Gate, is designated an Important Cultural Property for its historical significance and distinctive vermilion appearance. Reconstructed in 1604 under the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyori, it preserves architectural features from the Momoyama period.
A granite stone lantern donated during the Edo period is also listed among the shrine’s Important Cultural Properties. Its detailed carvings provide an example of traditional Japanese stone craftsmanship.
Zuihō Bridge and Kaiei Bridge, both located within the shrine grounds, are registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. Zuihō Bridge is valued as an example of a modern stone arch bridge, while Kaiei Bridge is another historically significant structure noted for its design.
Rokueido Hall is also registered as a Tangible Cultural Property. Originally built in 1910 by Hanemon Tatsuma as a Western-style residence in the Maiko area of Kobe, it was later moved to Nishinomiya Shrine in 1977. Its architecture reflects the Western influences that became increasingly prominent in Japan during the Meiji period.
Ebisu no Mori is a wooded area within the shrine grounds designated a Hyogo Prefectural Natural Monument. Its mature trees and preserved natural environment provide a quiet retreat from the surrounding city and enhance the shrine’s traditional atmosphere.
Nishinomiya Shrine offers much more than a place to pray for good fortune. Its historic Red Gate, long earthen walls, connected main sanctuary, traditional bridges, and garden scenery reveal layers of Japanese religious and architectural history. The wooded grounds also provide a peaceful place to walk and enjoy the changing seasons.
For residents of Nishinomiya, the shrine remains an important symbol of local identity. Its centuries-old traditions continue through annual festivals and everyday worship. The January Toka Ebisu celebrations, in particular, draw visitors from across the region to pray for prosperity and witness the excitement of the Lucky Man race.
Whether you are interested in Japanese religious traditions, historic architecture, cultural heritage, or lively festivals, Nishinomiya Shrine is a rewarding destination to include in a visit to Hyogo Prefecture.
The shrine is approximately a five-minute walk from Nishinomiya Station on the Hanshin Main Line. From Nishinomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line, the walk takes about 15 minutes.
Take a Hanshin Bus to the Nishinomiya Jinja-mae stop. The shrine entrance is approximately a one-minute walk away.
From Nishinomiya Interchange on the Meishin Expressway, the drive takes approximately 10 minutes. From Kobe, allow about 15 minutes from the Mukogawa exit on the Hanshin Expressway Kobe Route No. 3.
Parking is available on the shrine grounds. However, traffic and parking can become extremely congested during major events, especially Toka Ebisu in January. Public transportation is strongly recommended during these periods.