Toka Ebisu

What Is Toka Ebisu?

Toka Ebisu is a festival to pray for business prosperity. At Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in Osaka, it is held over three days: "Yoi Ebisu" on January 9, "Hon Ebisu" on January 10, and "Nokori Ebisu" on January 11. Many worshippers come from Osaka, the wider Kinki region, and all over Japan.

Toka Ebisu at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine

According to the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, Toka Ebisu takes place to the festive chant "Shobai hanjo ja, sasa motte koi" ("For business prosperity, bring your bamboo").

• Fukuzasa (lucky bamboo): Lucky bamboo branches set the scene at Toka Ebisu. Given out by shrine maidens called fukumusume, these bright green bamboo branches are decorated with charms and small lucky items such as gold coins, rakes, and winnowing baskets, and carry people's prayers for business prosperity and good fortune.
• Hoekago procession: On the 10th, the Hoekago procession takes place. It originated with geisha from Osaka's Minami district visiting Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in palanquins, and at its peak in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras, as many as 100 palanquins are said to have competed in splendor.
• Organizing the procession: The Hoekago procession is organized not by Imamiya Ebisu Shrine but by a promotion association of local residents and others.

A Shrine Said to Have Been Founded by Prince Shotoku

Imamiya Ebisu Shrine is located in Naniwa Ward, Osaka, and enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, Kotoshironushi-no-Mikoto, and other deities. According to the shrine, it was founded in 600, during the reign of Empress Suiko, when Prince Shotoku enshrined it as a guardian deity to the west while building Shitennoji Temple. It was revered as a deity protecting the marketplace and is still beloved today as "Ebisu-sama," the god of business prosperity and good fortune.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Visit the Toka Ebisu festival at a nearby Ebisu shrine and pray for business prosperity
• Learn about the meanings of fukuzasa and other lucky charms
• Share your work goals for the year again with your coworkers
• If you are in Osaka, go see the Hoekago procession

A Year That Begins with "Bring Your Bamboo"

Toka Ebisu is a festival held early in the year to pray for business prosperity for the year ahead. Amid lively chants, many worshippers come to receive lucky bamboo. Why not ask Ebisu-sama for a successful year at work?