In order to start a new year with a lot of good luck, we Japanese visit shrines or temples and pray for a prosperous year.
Kyoto Ebisu-jinja enshrines a god for wealth, commonly known as Ebisu-san. Along with Nishinomiya Ebisu and Osaka Imamiya Ebisu, Kyoto Ebisu is listed as top-three Ebisu shrine in Japan. As you enter the premises, you'll see a lot of statues of Ebisu, and noitce that the place is filled with energy from smiling faces of Ebisu-sans and visitors.
The interesting thing about this shrine is its one funny particular rule for making wishes. After making a prayer at the main sanctuary, you cannot go back the way you came in. You just have to turn left and go straight along the wall of the building, and then, at the half way of the path, you have to knock the wooden panel on the wall several times and make your prayer once more. This is because Ebisu has poor hearing so that you have to make sure he notice your presence by knocking the wall right behind the place he is settled.
From January 8 to 12, the shrine is bustled with countless number of visitors who all seeking for happiness. Please try YUMEYAKATA KIMONO and make your prayer at Kyoto Ebisu shrine.
Akane Kibune
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Access:
8 mins on foot from Shijo-Keihan-mae, Kyoto city bus
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