This popular five-day festival celebrates Ebisu-san, one of the seven lucky Gods of Japanese mythology, responsible for prosperity.
What is there to see and do?
There are plenty of charms to buy to increase your fortune for the upcoming year including lucky bamboo grass, and many gather in the hope of improving their luck, so be prepared for crowds. Due to the legend that the God himself is a little deaf, the festival is noisy and raucous with people knocking on wooden boards to get his attention before prayers are repeated.
There will be plenty of food stalls and entertainment to enjoy! You can check the schedule (with the help of google translate) here!
When is it?
The opening times differ for each day, with early starts and a full night of fun on the 9th, so be sure to check the timetable before you go. As like most Japanese festivals, nighttime is always more fun, so head over in the evening if you can. During the day there is plenty to see though, including traditional Kagura dance which purifies and blesses the lucky bamboo grass and Geisha will be handing out lucky rice cakes and bamboo around Gion too.
Where is it?
The festival will be held at Kyoto Ebisu Jinja. It is a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride from Kyoto Station. There is also a festival with the same name in Osaka, so don’t get confused.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.