Ebisu Matsuri
January 11, 2008
Yesterday the Noda Ebisu festival took place as it does every year in my neighborhood. I’m not exactly sure what the festival is about and I’m too lazy to google it. I know that it’s more oriented towards business owners although people of all ages were there last night.
For some reason that yet again I have failed to find, the Ebisu Shrine was selling various things that I assume are good for businesses. They were expensive: up to 5000 yen. The wife (or The Boss) wanted to get one and I stated my objection to sparing 5000 yen for something that someone says is lucky. In the end, she got a 3000 plant that is now decorating our entrance.
Personally, I think it would be better business to keep the 3000 yen, but again, who am I but a lowly subordinate.
The shrine itself is fairly similar to most shrines I’ve been to. I found this about Ebisu Shrine:
Popularly know as “Noda no Ebessan”, it is not known exactly when Ebisu Shrine was built. However, within the grounds there are granite stones with “Ebisu no Miya” carved into the front, and the date March 1115 on the side. The stones themselves were erected afterwards, but it is thought that the shrine itself was built around this time. From ancient times, the god Ebisu has been revered at the god of fishing and the area around the shrine was called Naniwa Yasojima, and was a centre of the fishing industry. On the 10th of January every year many worshippers come to Ebisu, and he has also gathered many followers as the local god due to big parades during the summer festival with “Danjiri”, taiko drums, and “Taihoko” etc. [source]
