Imamiya Ebisu Shrine

Imamiya Ebisu Shrine sits in Osaka's Namba area and is dedicated to Ebisu, the deity of fishermen and merchants. The grounds feel calm on ordinary days, with a sloping tiled roof over the main hall and a compact garden beside it. Everything changes in January during the Toka Ebisu festival, when over a million visitors fill the streets to buy bamboo branches decorated with paper fortunes. Vendors line the approach for days, and the atmosphere is loud, warm, and celebratory. A quick visit on a regular day takes about 20 minutes.