Osaki Shrine

Osaki Shrine stands as one of Japan’s most venerable Shinto sanctuaries, with a history stretching back more than 1,500 years. More than a place of worship, it has long served as a cultural repository, preserving traditions, architectural artistry, and a deep spiritual heritage. Revered as a source of good fortune and prosperity, the shrine enshrines two of Japan’s most beloved deities - Daikokuten and Ebisu - gods of abundance, protection, and blessings.

The shrine’s prestige is affirmed in the Engishiki (a 10th-century register of important shrines), where it is listed among the distinguished Shikinai-sha that received offerings from the Imperial Court. Over the centuries, Osaki Shrine became a spiritual gathering place for warriors, reformers, and common people alike. The Heian-period rebel Taira no Masakado is said to have prayed here for victory, while the powerful Haga clan of the Bandō region also revered the shrine, as recorded in the Taiheiki war chronicle. In 1588, a copy of the Heike Monogatari was dedicated to the shrine, underscoring its role as a guardian of culture as well as faith.

As one of the officially recognised Engishiki shrines, Osaki Shrine belongs to an elite circle of sanctuaries honoured by the Imperial Court for their role in state rituals. Within Tochigi Prefecture, twelve such shrines are recorded, forming a historic pilgrimage circuit that has endured for more than a millennium.

At its heart, Osaki Shrine venerates the Two Gods of Fortune (Fukujin):

• Onamuchi no Kami (Okuninushi / Daikokuten): A creator deity associated with agriculture, medicine, and prosperity. He carries a great bag filled with “the seeds of all things”, symbolising abundance and cultural flourishing. Worshippers pray to him for health, recovery from illness, family safety, harmonious relationships, and protection from misfortune.

• Kotoshironushi no Kami (Ebisu): Believed to be Daikokuten's son, Ebisu is the guardian of rivers and seas, granting safe voyages, plentiful catches, thriving businesses, and household prosperity.

Together, Daikokuten and Ebisu embody the balance of land and sea, sustaining life and prosperity across generations.

Osaki Shrine is also linked to the famous myth of the White Rabbit of Inaba, in which Okuninushi heals a wounded rabbit tricked by sharks. This story highlights Daikoku-sama’s compassion and reinforces his identity as a god of healing, kindness, and protection.

Osaki Shrine preserves a rich tradition of ritual performance, most notably its Grand Kagura (Daidaikagura). This sacred performance consists of 26 dances, including the Dance of Daikoku and Ebisu and the Dance of the Heavenly Fox and White Fox. Passed down from Ise Grand Shrine during the Edo period, the Grand Kagura is dedicated to prayers for peace, abundant harvests, good fortune, and the prosperity of future generations. Three major annual festivals during which the Grand Kagura is performed are Toshigoi Festival (March 28) – prayers for a fruitful harvest, Annual Grand Festival (November 9–10) - the central celebration of the deities, Niiname Festival (November 27) - a thanksgiving for the year’s harvest.

Osaki Ebisu Shrine

Osaki Ebisu Shrine serves as a subsidiary shrine of Osaki Shrine, officially established with a celebratory dedication ceremony on December 10, 1989. It enshrines Kotoshironushi no Kami (Ebisu) - the god of commerce, industry, and good fortune. To consecrate the new sanctuary, a sacred ritual (bunshi-sai) was performed on December 9, 1989, transferring the divine spirit of Ebisu from the main Osaki Shrine to ensure the continuity of blessings.

Worshippers are encouraged to first pay their respects at the main Osaki Shrine before visiting the shrine’s distinctive landmark: the “Japan’s Largest Ebisu” (Nihon-ichi Ebisu). This monumental statue is enshrined atop an Oya stone pedestal, within which a small shrine is housed, symbolising Ebisu’s enduring presence.

In recent decades, Osaki Ebisu Shrine has gained wide recognition for its association with lottery fortune. Around 2003, several visitors reported winning substantial sums after praying at the shrine, sending heartfelt letters of gratitude. As media outlets -magazines and television alike - covered these stories, the shrine became increasingly known as a place to seek Ebisu’s blessings for wealth and success. Today, it draws many visitors hoping for financial good fortune. Among its most sought-after offerings is the “Good Fortune and Wealth Amulet” (Kaiun Kin’un Kōun-mamori), especially popular during Japan’s jumbo lottery seasons. The grounds are adorned with countless ema plaques, inscribed with words of thanks for lottery winnings and prayers for future prosperity.

Beyond prayers for fortune, Osaki Ebisu Shrine is also home to sacred sites of purification and spiritual renewal: Tsuru no Izumi (Crane Spring) - a sacred water source used in purification rituals, and Gogyō Shin-sui-en (Five Elements Sacred Water Garden) - a stroll-style Japanese garden centred on the Gogyō Fukusen-sui, a sacred spring used to purify treasures or seed money before business ventures. It is believed that wealth touched by this water will multiply under the divine favour of Ebisu.