Ebisu-no-Kami

Ebisu-no-Kami (恵比寿神, also written 蛭子神 or 夷神) is a folk deity venerated as a guardian of commerce, trade, and fishing. In the Kojiki (712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (720 CE), he is identified with Hiruko, the first child of Izanagi and Izanami, who was set adrift in a reed boat. Later traditions merged this figure with Kotoshironushi-no-Kami and Sukunabikona-no-Kami, establishing Ebisu as one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Principal shrines include Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo (head shrine of all Ebisu shrines nationwide), Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in Osaka, and Miho Shrine in Shimane. The Toka Ebisu festival of January 10 has drawn devotion from merchants since the early modern period.