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Shrine · Ebisucho / Namba

Imamiya Ebisu Shrine 今宮戎神社

The merchant city's shrine to Ebisu, god of business and prosperity, which explodes into the Toka Ebisu festival every 9-11 January when about a million people come to buy lucky bamboo branches from smiling fuku-musume shrine maidens.

HoursGrounds open 24 hours; office 9:00-17:00 (approx)
ClosedOpen daily
PriceFree
Getting thereImamiyaebisu Station (Nankai Koya Line), 1 min; Ebisucho Station (Sakaisuji Line), 5 min
Time needed20-30 min
Best time9-11 January for Toka Ebisu; any weekday otherwise
Address1-6-10 Ebisunishi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka
Websiteimamiya-ebisu.jp

About

Imamiya Ebisu is small, urban and wedged between Namba and Shinsekai, but to Osaka's shopkeepers it is the most important shrine of the year. Founded, according to tradition, in the early 7th century as a protector of the market Prince Shotoku set up near Shitennoji, it honours Ebisu, the fisherman god with a sea bream under his arm. During Toka Ebisu (9-11 January) the streets around fill with stalls and the cry "Shobai hanjo de sasa motte koi" (bring the bamboo for thriving business) is chanted over loudspeakers; worshippers buy a fukusasa bamboo branch and then have it decorated with lucky charms, coins and fish by the shrines fuku-musume, young women chosen in a competitive audition each year. A local custom: because Ebisu is said to be hard of hearing, people go round to the back of the main hall and knock on the wooden board or gong to make sure the god heard their wish. Outside festival season the shrine is calm and open all hours, with a goshuin counter and a steady trickle of business owners.

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Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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