On the 10th of January every year, a large festival is held at Ebisu shine. There are versions of this festival held all over Japan, but I went to the nearby one in Imamiya, Osaka. This festival is dedicated to one of the gods of Fortune, fishing, and luck, Ebisu. People come to this festival every year in hopes of increasing their fortune. With basically no advanced knowledge, I went to check it out!
The shrine is nearby, only a few subway stops away, and a short walk. On the way there it was unusually cold, and for the first time this winter, there was actually snow. Well, tiny bits of hail, anyways. As I approached the shrine area, the crowds grew, and police were carefully directing traffic. There had to have been hundreds of stands selling food, drinks, and toys on the way there, lining all the streets surrounding the shrine, including an entire street where I walked over 15 minutes and there was no end in sight.
When I finally made it to the shrine, there were people handing out bunches of bamboo leaves, which I took one of. From there, people walk around to various parts of the shrine and buy some kind of decorations for their bamboo, which I suppose is for good luck or fortune. I did a lap around the shrine, which was packed, and handed my leaves back to the kiosk, telling the guy I didn’t really understand. I did, but honestly, the stuff they were selling started around 1500 Yen (~$15). I’ll keep my fortune where I can use it, in my wallet.
Bonus Video: