Kyōto webisu-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Kyōto webisu-jinja is a small Shinto shrine in Higashiyama-ku located beside a Zen temple, featuring simple wooden buildings with dark beams and lanterns. The shrine contains cheerful statues of Ebisu and spaces where visitors can offer prayers and coins.
The shrine was founded in 1202 by monk Eisai, who traveled from China and built it to honor Ebisu after experiencing a storm at sea. Over centuries, it became known as a place where people seek good fortune in their work and daily lives.
Visitors come to pray for prosperity and business success, often purchasing small charms to hang on bamboo branches. The act of tossing coins at a carved rake and knocking softly on a wooden panel are simple rituals that reflect how local people connect their daily hopes to the shrine's traditions.
The shrine is free to enter and open year-round from early morning until late afternoon. Bring comfortable shoes and a few coins if you wish to participate in the coin-tossing ritual, particularly during festival season in January.
According to local belief, Ebisu is hard of hearing, so visitors knock softly on a wooden board to ensure their prayers are heard. Another distinctive practice involves tossing coins at a carved rake, based on the idea of "raking in" good luck through this playful gesture.
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