Ebisu Festival

Ebisu Festival

October 20

This Japanese festival is named after Ebisu, one among seven Japanese gods of luck, who is the protector of businessmen and fishermen. According to legend, all the other gods leave their shrines during October, which is known as "the godless month," and gather at the temple of Izumo to discuss issues of great importance. Because he is deaf, Ebisu cannot hear the summons and does not accompany them. The Ebisu Festival, observed on October 20, is a time for members of trade associations and political and literary societies to get together and socialize. Because Ebisu presides over trade and business, the festival is also a time to pray for prosperity. The main celebration takes place in Nara, where the streets leading to the Ebisu shrine are lined with booths selling figures of Ebisu and other objects that stand for wealth and good fortune. In the western part of the country, some shrines celebrate the Ebisu Festival in January.
Ebisu is a folk deity who probably originated in a cult of luck in fishing. To this day, Japanese fishermen bring up stones from the bottom of the sea at the beginning of the fishing season and make them into a shrine to Ebisu. As they cast their nets, they have also been known to call out "Ebisu!" to invoke the god's power. In urban areas, however, the Ebisu Festival is mostly celebrated by merchants, although even here the god is often depicted as carrying a fish.
See also Bettara-Ichi

CONTACTS:
Japan National Tourist Organization
1 Rockefeller Pl., Ste. 1250
New York, NY 10020
212-757-5640; fax: 212-307-6754
www.japantravelinfo.com

SOURCES:
IllFestJapan-1993, p. 22
JapanFest-1965, pp. 116, 200
OxDictWrldRel-1997, p. 302

Celebration day: Oct 20