Nishinomiya Shrine

Nishinomiya Shrine, popularly known as "Ebessan," is the head shrine (sōhonsha) of approximately 3,500 Ebisu shrines throughout Japan, located in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. Its principal deity is Ebisu-no-Mikoto (Nishinomiya-Okami), originally venerated as a god of fishing and the sea, who became celebrated as a deity of commerce, business prosperity, and good fortune. Shrine tradition holds that the deity's image was discovered by fishermen in the sea near Wada Cape and enshrined at the present location in ancient times. Though the exact founding date is unknown, written records from the late Heian period confirm the shrine was already established and attracting large numbers of worshippers. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate granted the shrine exclusive rights to distribute sacred effigy plaques (fukusashu) nationwide, greatly expanding the Ebisu faith across Japan. The Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995 severely damaged much of the precinct, which has since been restored. The shrine is nationally famous for the Toka-Ebisu festival (January 9–11), which draws over one million visitors across three days. The highlight is the "Fukuotoko" (Lucky Men) race on January 10, in which thousands sprint 230 meters through the shrine at the opening of the gates to be named among the first three "men of fortune."

Nishinomiya Shrine is located in Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo. The full address is: 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo.

The enshrined deities are: Hiruko (Ebisu).