Toka Ebisu (held annually from January 9th to 11th) is an event primarily celebrated in the Kansai region, especially Osaka. Shrines are dedicated to Kotoshironushi-no-Mikoto (popularly known as Ebisu) and they hold the festival to pray to Ebisu for prosperous business, every year.
Visitors purchase “Fukuzasa” (lucky bamboo branches) or “Kumade” (rakes) adorned with auspicious small items.
I also visit a shrine near my place every year.
After purchasing Fukuzasa, the shrine maiden and Noh musicians perform a dance to dedicate my Fukuzasa.
At larger shrines, Fukuzasa have already been dedicated and are sold.
The auspicious small items include “Awabi no Shi” (strip of dried abalone), “Zenikamasu” (coin purse), “Zenibukuro” (money bag), “Suehiro” (fan), “Koban” (oval gold coin), “Chogin” (silver ingot), “Uchide no Kozuchi” (magic mallet), “Daifukucho” (account book), “Eboshi” (court noble’s cap), “Usu” (handmil), “Kome-dawara” (rice bale), and “Tai” (sea bream).
These bamboo branches are displayed in shops and companies for a year, then returned to the shrine the following year, and new ones are purchased and taken home. It is considered good to gradually increase the size of the items.
It is a lively New Year’s tradition.
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