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Pray for Prosperity!
January 10th is my birthday, so I often hear, “Oh, you must be in business then!” The tenth is the day of the Seidai Festival for Ebisu, god of prosperity, and of fishermen, at the Toka-ebisu Shrine. When I was old enough to understand the joke, I made it a habit to go to the festival before celebrating my birthday, a tradition I keep to this day.
From January 8th to 11th, up to 300 stalls spring up, and great crowds descend upon this normally quiet shrine. The 8th is known as Hatsu-ebisu, the 9th is Yoi-ebisu, the 10th is the Seidai Festival itself, and the 11th is Nokori-ebisu. The biggest crowds appear on the nights of the 9th and 10th, after businesses shut and their employees are free to attend the festival. There are always long lines of people queuing to pray and test their luck in the lottery (¥2,000). The best prize is the Ebisu daruma, and other prizes include large red fans, calendars and abacuses. Whatever you win, you also get a fukusasa (lucky bamboo grass); a tradition of the festival. At about three o’clock on the 9th, a parade of Hakata’s geisha, resplendent in full kimono, can be seen on their way to worship at the shrine. They are guided by musicians on the shamisen, flute and tambourines, playing the song of Ebisu.
The two gods of the shrine are Ebisu and Daikoku, who are often paired together as gods of wealth. You can recognize Ebisu’s statues from the fishing rod in his hand and the fish he carries, a familiar image if you’ve ever tried the famous Yebisu Beer! Daikoku carries a sack of rice, and is associated with marriage and fertility.
Make next year a prosperous one for yourself and attend the festival!
January 10th is my birthday, so I often hear, “Oh, you must be in business then!” The tenth is the day of the Seidai Festival for Ebisu, god of prosperity, and of fishermen, at the Toka-ebisu Shrine. When I was old enough to understand the joke, I made it a habit to go to the festival before celebrating my birthday, a tradition I keep to this day.
From January 8th to 11th, up to 300 stalls spring up, and great crowds descend upon this normally quiet shrine. The 8th is known as Hatsu-ebisu, the 9th is Yoi-ebisu, the 10th is the Seidai Festival itself, and the 11th is Nokori-ebisu. The biggest crowds appear on the nights of the 9th and 10th, after businesses shut and their employees are free to attend the festival. There are always long lines of people queuing to pray and test their luck in the lottery (¥2,000). The best prize is the Ebisu daruma, and other prizes include large red fans, calendars and abacuses. Whatever you win, you also get a fukusasa (lucky bamboo grass); a tradition of the festival. At about three o’clock on the 9th, a parade of Hakata’s geisha, resplendent in full kimono, can be seen on their way to worship at the shrine. They are guided by musicians on the shamisen, flute and tambourines, playing the song of Ebisu.
The two gods of the shrine are Ebisu and Daikoku, who are often paired together as gods of wealth. You can recognize Ebisu’s statues from the fishing rod in his hand and the fish he carries, a familiar image if you’ve ever tried the famous Yebisu Beer! Daikoku carries a sack of rice, and is associated with marriage and fertility.
Make next year a prosperous one for yourself and attend the festival!
１月10日は私の誕生日。このことを話すと、すぐに「そりゃあ、商売人に向いとるねえ」と言われる。それは商売繁盛の神さま「十日恵比須神社」正大祭の日だからだ。ものごころ付いたときから、誕生日には十日恵比須神社にお参りしてから誕生会をするという習わしだ。今もその習わしは続いている。
県庁がある東公園の入り口にあるこの神社、日頃はその存在感を示すことなくひっそりと鎮座ましましている。しかし、1月8日から11日までは露店もおよそ３００店ほど並び、多くの参拝客を集める。8日は初えびす、9日は宵恵比須、10日は正大祭で、11日は残りえびすと呼ばれる。参拝客がもっとも多いのは9日と10日の夜から夜中にかけてで、飲食店の営業を終えてから店主や従業員が客とともに参拝にやってくる。
またその年の運試しをする「福引き」（2000円）が大人気で、神社本殿の左右には長蛇の列ができる。景品は縁起物ばかりで「大当たり〜、福おこし〜」と言われたらそれは恵比須だるま、「まんぷく〜」と言われたら大きな赤い団扇のこと。他に、福俵、日めくり暦やそろばんなど商売繁盛グッズを福笹とともに渡してくれる。福岡・博多の飲食店にはほとんどの店に飾られているので見かけた人も多いはず。当てた景品は翌年の参拝の折に神社に戻して、また福引きをするという仕組みだ。
商売をしている人ならぜひ運試しをしてほしいところだが、そうではない人は9日宵えびすの午後3時頃に出かけてみよう。博多の芸者さんたちが稲穂のカンザシを付けた正装でお参りする「徒歩（かち）まいり」という行事に遭遇できる。のぼりを先頭にお囃子さんたちが、三味線、笛、太鼓で十日恵比須の唄をはやしながら芸者さんたちを案内する。
神社の祭神は恵比須さまと大黒さま。恵比須さまはエビスビールでおなじみ、釣り竿を手にして鯛を抱かれている。大黒さまは大きな袋を肩にかけていらっしゃる。恵比須さまは商売繁盛、そして大黒さまは縁結びの神さまでもあらせられるぞよ。
January 10th is my birthday, so I often hear, “Oh, you must be in business then!” The tenth is the day of the Seidai Festival for Ebisu, god of prosperity, and of fishermen, at the Toka-ebisu Shrine. When I was old enough to understand the joke, I made it a habit to go to the festival before celebrating my birthday, a tradition I keep to this day.
From January 8th to 11th, up to 300 stalls spring up, and great crowds descend upon this normally quiet shrine. The 8th is known as Hatsu-ebisu, the 9th is Yoi-ebisu, the 10th is the Seidai Festival itself, and the 11th is Nokori-ebisu. The biggest crowds appear on the nights of the 9th and 10th, after businesses shut and their employees are free to attend the festival. There are always long lines of people queuing to pray and test their luck in the lottery (¥2,000). The best prize is the Ebisu daruma, and other prizes include large red fans, calendars and abacuses. Whatever you win, you also get a fukusasa (lucky bamboo grass); a tradition of the festival. At about three o’clock on the 9th, a parade of Hakata’s geisha, resplendent in full kimono, can be seen on their way to worship at the shrine. They are guided by musicians on the shamisen, flute and tambourines, playing the song of Ebisu.
The two gods of the shrine are Ebisu and Daikoku, who are often paired together as gods of wealth. You can recognize Ebisu’s statues from the fishing rod in his hand and the fish he carries, a familiar image if you’ve ever tried the famous Yebisu Beer! Daikoku carries a sack of rice, and is associated with marriage and fertility.
Make next year a prosperous one for yourself and attend the festival!
