”If you want to have a prosperous business, bring a bamboo branch!”
This is a famous phrase at a festival called Toka Ebisu, where people pray to Ebisu-sama、the deity of good fortune and business prosperity.
This year, too, I got a new fukuzasa (bamboo grass with fortunate ornamants ) at the Toka Ebisu Festival at Nishinomiya Shrine.
The Toka Ebisu is a popular festival in western Japan.
The 9th of January is called Yoi Ebisu, the 10th is called Hon Ebisu, and the 11th is called Remaining Blessings, and during this period, people come to pray for prosperity and good fortune.
This year, the festival has been postponed to the end of February to prevent corona.
Ebisu-san, also known as the "Deity of Ebisu and Daikoku," is one of the Seven deities of Good Fortune and is worshipped as the deity of good fortune and prosperity.
He has been said to be Hiruko-no-mikoto, who was born to the male deity Izanagi and the female deity Izanami in Japanese mythology, and because he was a crippled child, he was carried on a floating boat and swept out to sea.
The word "Ebisu" is said to have originated from the word "Emishi," which means "gentile," and is said to have started out as a deity worshipped by the people of fishing villages who would bring them great catches of fish.
It's interesting to know that people believed that there was a land of Nirvana beyond the sea, and that stones, creatures, and even drowned bodies washed up from the sea were called Ebisu and worshipped as a divine spirit that would bring great blessings of the sea.
This is the Big Tuna which brings you lots of fortune.
Normally, coins are attached to the body of the tuna in the hope that it will bring in money, but to prevent corona infection, this year's event was cancelled and the tuna was surrounded by an acrylic plate.
The divine virtues of Ebisu-san were spread by street performers called "Ebisumawashi, " who manipulated Ebisu puppet dolls in a box .
The Fukuzasa bamboo branches at Nishinomiya Shrine are gaily decorated with lucky charms.
Fukuzasa is a tribute to the fact that Ebessan's fishing rod was made of bamboo, and also to the merits of bamboo, a plant with high vitality even in flood-prone waters.
His smile, which makes people happy, does not make you feel even a little bit of his unfortunate background of his childhood as a crippled child.
Good fortune comes to those who smile!
I would like to believe that everything has a meaning., and would like to spend spend my days with a smile, just like Ebessan.
The platform of the Hankyu train was also decorated for the New Year.
I wish this year would be another wonderful year for you!