Did you know there’s an off-limits area at Nishinomiya Shrine?
Behind the main hall of Nishinomiya Shrine spreads a sacred grove. It’s designated as a Natural Monument of Hyogo Prefecture.
Looks like people are lining up.
This day was May 10. It was the line for the special worship visit to Ebisu no Mori. Since it was a Saturday, there was a huge line.
It will also be held tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20, so let’s report on what it’s like.
At the shrine office to the right of the main hall, you register with a 1,000 yen first-fruits offering.
All you have to do is write your name and address. They’ll call your name later, so be sure to keep this receipt stub safe.
And believe it or not, you receive a Kiyo-no-Omamori purification charm!
It contains an Ebisu-sama charm and white sand that is placed around the four sides of the main hall.
It says Nishinomiya Shrine on it. The lettering is cute!
You wait inside the shrine office until your name is called.
Since Nishinomiya is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its municipal administration, there were all kinds of exhibits. There were displays about the Nishinomiya Nanazono areas and more, with plenty that locals would want to read.
After all that, names started being called after about 10 minutes.
In such a formal place, it was my first time being called “Shacho-mi-sama!” The Shinto priest gave a wry smile, which made me laugh. I’m kind of happy my first time was at Nishinomiya Shrine.
Before the special visit to Ebisu no Mori, there is a formal worship service.
We received a purification ritual to reset any impurities of body and mind. Now we could walk through the grove feeling refreshed.
Who would have thought a forest like this spreads out behind the main hall?
After walking a little, we found a small shrine for Ebisu-sama.
You can even touch Ebisu-sama. You’ll receive great fortune.
You can scoop some white sand, believed to hold Ebisu-sama’s divine power, into a bag and take it home. If it’s for your home, you can sprinkle it around your property for purification. Nishitsu has a case where we keep various important Nishinomiya items, so we put it there.
Going even deeper in, another spot overflowing with incredible power appears.
A tree that looks like it could appear in the Forest Spirit’s woods from Princess Mononoke.
And no wonder. This tree is 300 to 400 years old. Even though the main hall and forest were burned down in the great air raid of 1945, this tree endured. You can read its history here.
By the way, after receiving this white sand, an article with the highest traffic in Nishitsu history was born! The editorial team was buzzing, like, “Did the blessing seriously work!?” haha Of course, we don’t know if there’s any causal link.
After leaving Ebisu no Mori, on the left side when facing the main hall, there is Hyakudayu Shrine.
It enshrines the ancestral deity of Ebisu-kaki, the Ebisu dance puppet festival.
In a way, this is the deity of the performing arts, so if you’re involved in any kind of performance, don’t forget to pay a visit.
Oh, right
By chance, we got to meet the person who was the 100th participant in the toast celebrating Nishinomiya’s 100 years. For Nishinomiya Tsushin, the timing was unbelievable. What an amazing connection.
Ebisu no Mori Special Worship: Upcoming Dates Through the End of June
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May 20 (Tue)
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June 1 (Sun)
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June 10 (Tue) There will also be Tokaichi that day, with around 20 shops setting up.
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June 20 (Fri)
