Ebisu-san

This evening, I went to Gion to visit Ebisu-jinja to wish for a good year. The god Ebisu in enshrined here. Ebisu-san (or Ebesu-san in Kyoto dialect) is the god of financial success. Kyotoites who are involved in business visit the shrine at the beginning of each year to pray for a good business year.

On the way to the shrine, I saw a tourist dressed as a maiko (apprentice geisha) on Shimbashi-dori. Even though she wasn't a real maiko, she made a good picture:


Here is a picture of the shrine:


Here is a picture of one of the shrine maidens dancing with a bit of sasa (small bamboo) to consecrate it.


The god Ebisu-san is said to be hard of hearing, which is probably all for the best considering how many people are begging him to make them rich. In order to get his attention, people bang on the side of the shrine, like this woman is doing: