murmurToka Ebisu and the Fukuotoko Race at Nishinomiya Shrine
Nishinomiya City · Nishinomiya Shrine
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nishinomiya Shrine · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Jan 10, 2026 （Ended） Gate opens for the Fukuotoko race at 6:00Confirmed from the official annual schedule and Kobe Shimbun’s notice for that year
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early January
- How the date is set
- Every year on January 10
- Venue
- Nishinomiya Shrine
- City
- Nishinomiya City, Hyogo
About
Nishinomiya Shrine, head shrine of the Ebisu faith, marks the new year with a pre-dawn grand festival on January 10. At 0:00 (midnight) every gate in the grounds is shut while priests stay inside to purify themselves, and the main rite is held at 4 a.m. When it ends at 6 a.m., the great red front gate swings open and the crowd waiting outside sprints about 230 meters to the main hall. This is the Fukuotoko ("lucky man") race: the first three to arrive are named the year's lucky men. There are events on the days around it too. A huge tuna offered on January 8 sits in the worship hall through the three days of Toka Ebisu, and people press coins onto it as a wish for good business. On January 9, geisha from Arima Onsen stir hot spring water in an offering ceremony.
Sources
- OfficialNishinomiya Shrine nishinomiya-ebisu.com
- OfficialNishinomiya Shrine nishinomiya-ebisu.com
- Date checkKobe Shimbun www.kobe-np.co.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.