Ebisukō

Overview

Ebisuko, formally called the Ebisu Taisai (Ebisu Grand Festival), is an annual festival held every November at Ebisu Shrine in Ebisu-cho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Locally it is affectionately known as Ebessan, and it has long been revered by the merchants of Hiroshima as a festival dedicated to the guardian deity of business prosperity. Together with the Tokasan festival of Enryuji Temple and the Sumiyoshi festival of Sumiyoshi Shrine, it is counted as one of the Three Great Temple and Shrine Festivals of Hiroshima, and it is a seasonal event that announces the arrival of winter to the city.

The festival is held over four days beginning on November 17. During this period, the Ebisu-dori shopping street and the surrounding shops and department stores all hold major sales at the same time. Chuo-dori, the main avenue, becomes a pedestrian paradise, and department stores such as Fukuya, Mitsukoshi, and Tenmaya join in with bargain sales, so the crowds during the period reach more than 100,000 people. A major feature of this festival is the way that worship at the shrine and the commercial events of the shopping district are unified into a single occasion.

History and Origins

The origin of Ebisu Shrine is said to lie in the enshrinement of the deity Hiruko, the god of business, by the local elders who wished for the prosperity of what is now Ebisu-cho. As the guardian deity of an area that was developing as a merchant town, Hiruko, that is to say Ebisu, was chosen. Ebisu worship was originally a folk faith praying for business prosperity, household safety, and abundant harvests, and it spread among farmers, fishermen, and merchants from the Muromachi period onward. Ebisuko became a central bearer of that faith in Hiroshima.

The Ebisu Grand Festival itself has continued since the founding of Ebisu Shrine in 1603, the eighth year of the Keicho era. Counting from that year, which corresponds to the early Edo period, the festival has already accumulated more than 400 years of history. Over these long years, Ebisu Shrine has continued to gather the faith of the Ebisu-cho and Hatchobori district at the commercial heart of Hiroshima, and the festival has expanded in scale together with the growth of the city.

The lucky rake known as komazarae, an auspicious item that symbolizes the festival, began to be sold from the 300th anniversary enshrinement festival in 1901, the 34th year of the Meiji era. The rake is considered a lucky charm that rakes in good fortune, and the custom of people praying for business prosperity buying one every year became established. This distribution, which began on the occasion of 300 years since the shrine was founded, has become the signature feature of Ebisuko that continues to this day.

What makes the Ebisu Grand Festival special for the people of Hiroshima is that it has never once been interrupted by war or disaster. Even when the city of Hiroshima suffered catastrophic damage from the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the festival was held in a temporary barrack shrine building only three months later, on November 20. The fact that the festival was not allowed to lapse even amid the scorched ruins speaks to how indispensable Ebisuko was as a source of support for the merchants and citizens of Hiroshima.

Highlights

The lucky rake komazarae The greatest signature of Ebisuko is the lucky rake called komazarae, said to rake in good fortune. Shopkeepers and worshippers buy these rakes, brightly decorated with auspicious business items, every year. It is a tradition that has continued since the 300th anniversary festival of 1901, and holding a new rake has become a symbolic act of praying for a year of business prosperity.

The pedestrian paradise of Chuo-dori During the festival, Chuo-dori, the main avenue of Hiroshima, becomes a pedestrian paradise. The sight of a normally car-filled boulevard packed with people is spectacular, and the crowd said to number more than 100,000 concentrates on this street. It is a scene unique to Ebisuko, when the entire city is dyed in the colors of the festival.

Major sales at shops and department stores In coordination with the shrine rites, the Ebisu-dori shopping street and department stores such as Fukuya, Mitsukoshi, and Tenmaya all hold major sales and bargains at once. There was once a custom of discount sales called seimon-barai, and the essence of Ebisuko is that faith and commerce are inseparably linked. Shoppers and worshippers mingle, and the whole town bustles.

Worship at Ebisu Shrine The center of the festival remains worship at Ebisu Shrine, the guardian deity of business prosperity. During the four-day period, many people, above all merchants, visit the shrine to pray for a year of business prosperity and household safety. As a place of faith that has supported the commerce of Hiroshima, the shrine shows a special liveliness during the festival.

One corner of the Three Great Festivals Ebisuko is counted, together with Tokasan of Enryuji Temple in June and the Sumiyoshi festival of Sumiyoshi Shrine, among the Three Great Temple and Shrine Festivals of Hiroshima. All share the feature that the Chuo-dori area becomes a pedestrian paradise, and they are beloved by citizens as festivals that represent the annual events of Hiroshima. Ebisuko, which announces the arrival of winter, occupies the position of concluding this cycle.

The bustle of a town raking in fortune Worshippers holding rakes, shoppers gathering for the major sales, and streets lined with food stalls and vendors, the bustle itself that these create in unison can be called the greatest highlight of Ebisuko. Fitting for a festival that enshrines the god of business, it is a span of several days when the entire town is filled with energy and good fortune.

Festival Information and Access

Name Ebisu Taisai (Ebisu Grand Festival), popularly known as Ebisuko or Ebessan.

Location Ebisu Shrine (5-12 Ebisu-cho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture) and the area around Chuo-dori and the Ebisu-dori shopping street.

Dates Four days beginning on November 17 every year (the shopping district sales run roughly from November 18 to 20).

Access by train Get off right at Ebisu-cho tram stop on the Hiroshima Electric Railway, or right at Hatchobori tram stop.

Access from Hiroshima Station Take the Hiroshima Electric Railway from Hiroshima Station toward Hatchobori and it is right there after getting off.

Admission Free to worship (rakes and lucky items are sold at a charge).

Surroundings

The Ebisu-cho and Hatchobori district where Ebisu Shrine is located is the central commercial area of Hiroshima City. Department stores such as Fukuya Hatchobori main store, Hiroshima Mitsukoshi, and Tenmaya are gathered here, and arcade streets including the Ebisu-dori shopping street spread out. Even outside the festival period, it bustles as the foremost entertainment district of Hiroshima, a location where there is no shortage of shopping and dining.

Chuo-dori, the stage of the festival, is also a hub of city traffic as the main avenue of Hiroshima. The streetcars of the Hiroshima Electric Railway run in every direction, and major stops such as Kamiyacho and Hatchobori are close by, so access from all parts of the city is good. Walking the section that becomes a pedestrian paradise during the festival lets you experience the very heart of the city of Hiroshima.

Among the Three Great Temple and Shrine Festivals of Hiroshima that take the same Chuo-dori area as their stage, Tokasan of Enryuji Temple in June shows a bustle comparable to Ebisuko. By visiting the center of Hiroshima in a different season, you can savor even more deeply the strong bond between the town and its festivals. At the commercial heart of Hiroshima, which achieved recovery from the atomic bomb, one wishes to enjoy the festival together with its history.

Related Information

• The formal name is Ebisu Taisai (Ebisu Grand Festival); the popular names are Ebisuko and Ebessan.
• One of the Three Great Temple and Shrine Festivals of Hiroshima (the others being Tokasan and the Sumiyoshi festival).
• A historic festival that has continued since the founding of Ebisu Shrine in 1603 (Keicho 8).
• The lucky rake komazarae has been sold since the 300th anniversary enshrinement festival in 1901 (Meiji 34).
• The festival was held in a temporary shrine building only three months after the atomic bombing of 1945, continuing without interruption.
• During the period, Chuo-dori becomes a pedestrian paradise bustling with crowds of more than 100,000 people.

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