At 6:00 a.m. on January 10, 2026, we went behind the scenes at Nishinomiya Shrine’s annual “Kaimon Shinji” Lucky Man Race!
目次
How It Looked Before 5:00 a.m.
This is the scene at Blocks A and B. People had already been standing by for more than an hour.
Participants are chosen by lottery.
Block A in front: 108 people
Block B behind: 108 people
This is Block C. They start from outside the Akamon Gate.
Those who didn’t get into Blocks A or B, as well as general participants, can join Block C. The first 5,000 people receive a “Kaimon Shinji Sanpai no Akashi” certificate of worship.
This is what the end of the line looked like. Roughly speaking, the line stretched about 60 meters.
Looks like people came all the way from Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.
And from Kiryu Nishinomiya Shrine in Gunma Prefecture too.
Fumika Komachi, who was affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, was also there helping hold the gate.
How It Looked Just After 5:00 a.m.
So many members of the press. Only media personnel are allowed inside the shrine grounds for the “Lucky Man Race”. Nishi2 was also granted permission to enter.
This is what the shrine grounds looked like at 5:00 a.m.
A view with no one around is really rare.
At the first corner, TV cameras were lined up one after another. Shop staff were getting ready too.
How It Looked Around 5:30 a.m.
Before the real event, first came the gate-opening rehearsal. Holding the doors back…
“Open the gate!” But this was just practice.They rehearse over and over to prevent injuries.
These are the members of the Kaimon Shinji-ko group. Nishinomiya City Council member Junjiro Osako was there too.
Until the gate opens, shrine staff also sweep the approach.
Then, at 6:00 a.m.
Ten seconds before the gate opens. A tense moment. And then…
“Open the gate!!”First, Blocks A and B took off.
He fell! That looked painful.
Next up was the start for Block C!
Finally came the shrine visitors. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun running!
Who Are This Year’s Lucky Men?
This year’s Ichiban Fuku, or No. 1 Lucky Man, in the center, is Teppei Toyokawa. He’s a fourth-year student at Doshisha University and a former member of the Ono High School baseball team. This spring, he’ll apparently be joining that bank known for its “nagaーーーi otsukiai” slogan.
The Niban Fuku, or No. 2 Lucky Man, on the right, is Ayumu Sawai. He’s a third-year student at Kobe International University and plays soccer.
The Sanban Fuku, or No. 3 Lucky Man, is Daiki Akamatsu, a local Nishinomiya resident from the Tsuto area. He’s a fourth-year student at Biwako Seikei Sport College and plays baseball. From spring, he’ll apparently be working at that sports club that also has a location in Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi.
This is the group interview after the event. There were so many shrine visitors too, and it was incredibly crowded. Couldn’t get close.
Finally
Apparently, all of this year’s Lucky Men were first-time participants. Akamatsu, a local Nishinomiya resident who had looked set to become Ichiban Fuku, fell at the very end and ended up as Sanban Fuku, but it was still an incredible run. We’d love to cover it again next year!
