Buying your luck, at select locations
I had a big test last weekend, so as part of my preparation I trekked down into Osaka’s Nipponbashi, which is commonly known as “Den-Den Town,” or “Electric town,” and may be simply described as Osaka’s version of Akihabara. On this occasion I was not hoping to score anything as mundane as an electronic dictionary or any otherwise test-prep-related gadgetry, rather I was looking for something much older and mystical — my objective was a 合格御守り (goukaku o-mamori), a protective amulet for a passing grade. I was hoping to pick one up from my shrine of choice: 今宮戎神社, Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, just south of Namba and a stone’s throw from Namba Parks.
Ebisu is the god of fisherman, good luck and workers, and is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. In the Kansai area it is common to find shops displaying 福笹 (fukuzasa), branches of bamboo adorned with various o-mamori from Ebisu shrines, as Ebisu is often paired with Daikokuten, the god of wealth, commerce and trade, and therefore the pair are choice deities for those hoping for good business. As a resident Osakan always looking for ways to increase my wealth, I’ve faithfully acquired a new and relinquished an old fukuzasa every January for the past four years I’ve lived here. I figured that since Ebisu’s been pretty good to me financially, I was hoping he’d help me out academically. Unfortunately it turns out that Ebisu doesn’t have domain over test results, or at least doesn’t issue relevant periapts for the occasion. I went home empty-handed.
But luckily, a coworker got me my much sought-after goukaku o-mamori from Fushimi Inari Shrine (warning, flash with sound link), famous for its lengthy path of torii and formidable kitsune (fox) residency. Hopefully a bit of the superior intelligence and magical powers foxes are reknown for rubbed off on me for the test. I’m also hoping a bit of it lingers on for the JLPT this December! For those of you who are superstitious, desperate and interested in getting one or just plain interested, here is what mine looks like:
Good luck and happy studying!
Pics of fukuzasa and o-mamori from Imamiya Ebisu courtesy of bikedaily.
