The shrine in the Japanese city of Nishinomiya becomes a popular stop at the beginning of each year. Because then the New Year’s race takes place in Hyogo Prefecture, which heralds a new year of happiness. On January 10th, after a three-year Corona break, it was time again.
The traditional New Year’s run Nishinomiya-Schrein is dedicated to Ebisu, the Shinto god of prosperous economy. The tradition dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867) according to local accounts. The rules have always been the same. The first three people to sprint to the shrine grounds and the main hall will be given the title Lucky One and should be able to prepare themselves for a particularly successful year.
Shrine determines lucky guy of the year
This year, the winner was 22-year-old Ryota Uemoto, a student at Osaka University of Commerce. The lucky guy is a member of his university baseball team there. The young man lives in Kobe, in the Kita district. He used to participate for Akashi Commercial High School in Japan’s very popular baseball tournament at Koshien Stadium, where the most popular high school teams compete against each other.
The year has already got off to a good start for the student, who will be taking up a position with West Japan Railway this spring. Despite this, he plans to continue playing baseball. However, Uemoto is happy about the extra portion of luck. This year he plans to share his happiness with many other people. He hopes for more good baseball games that he can inspire people with.
In the last two years, because of the corona pandemic, not many people could meet in one place, which is why the race for the New Year was cancelled. Instead, devotees from the region walked a distance of about 230 meters from the front gate of Omote Daimon Shrine to the main hall. This year, the event was able to take place taking into account the measures against the corona virus.
Student was already lucky
For example, the traditional opening of a sake cask by the lucky guy was suspended because he was supposed to pour the holy sake out to other participants afterwards. This year, the runners were mediated by drawing lots. The number of participants for the first group was reduced by 300 to 1,200 runners.
At 6 o’clock the entrance gates of the shrine opened and the first group could start their run. A total of around 5,000 men and women took part in the race this year. For the first time in three years, participants sprinted across the shrine’s forecourt before entering the main hall one by one.
