Kotoshironushi no Kami

Kotoshironushi appears in the Kuniyuzuri myth as the elder son of Okuninushi. When Takemikazuchi came to demand the cession of the terrestrial realm, Okuninushi deferred to his son's judgment. Kotoshironushi, who was fishing at Cape Miho at the time, received the heavenly emissary's demand and consented to the surrender, symbolically overturning his boat and concealing himself behind a green fence of branches.

His name means 'the master who knows things' or 'the master who speaks on behalf of events,' suggesting an oracular function. This predictive quality aligns with his role as a deity consulted for divine judgments and important decisions.

Over time, Kotoshironushi became identified with Ebisu, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune—particularly through the fishing imagery. As Ebisu, he became one of Japan's most popular folk deities, a jovial patron of fishermen and merchants. This identification, while historically complex, is firmly established at Nishinomiya Shrine and Miho Shrine.