亮点
- Every January 10 at 6:00 a.m., after the Toka Ebisu Grand Festival, the Red Gate opens and runners dash about 230 m to the main hall (official site)
- The first three to reach the main hall are named fukuotoko (first, second and third luck) and receive prizes
- Front-row spots have been drawn by lottery since 2005. In 2024, 216 places were drawn from the 1,325 people in line by midnight on January 10 (Kobe Shimbun)
- About 5,000 people waited at the gate in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025 (official list of past winners)
由来与背景
According to Nishinomiya Shrine's history page, the dash grew out of igomori, the custom of closing every gate on the night of January 9 and staying still until dawn. At first light, worshippers hurried to the main hall. For many years only the first arrival was celebrated. The shrine began naming the top three as fukuotoko in 1940.
Fukuotoko Erabi 2027, the "Lucky Man" dash at Nishinomiya Shrine (Nishinomiya, Hyogo), starts at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 10, 2027. When the shrine's Omote-daimon (Red Gate) opens at the end of the 4:00 a.m. Toka Ebisu Grand Festival, the crowd waiting outside runs about 230 m to the main hall. The first three people to arrive are named that year's fukuotoko ("lucky men"). Front-row starting spots are decided by a lottery (kuji), and the shrine's website lists no entry or viewing fee (checked 2026-10-13).
The date and time come from the shrine's annual calendar, which fixes the Kaimon Shinji Fukuotoko Erabi at 6:00 a.m. every January 10. As of 2026-10-13 the official site has not yet posted a notice for the 2027 (Reiwa 9) edition, so details such as the lottery time and the number of front-row places are not announced. We will update this page when they are.
2027 at a glance: confirmed vs. not yet announced
| Item | 2027 edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gate-opening dash | Sunday, January 10, 2027, 6:00 a.m. at the Omote-daimon (Red Gate) | Nishinomiya Shrine, January events page |
| Distance | Red Gate to the main hall, about 230 m | Official site, Kobe Shimbun |
| Who becomes a fukuotoko | The first, second and third to reach the main hall | Official site |
| Front-row starting spots | Decided by lottery, run by the shrine's Kaimon Shinji Kosha (gate-ritual association) | Official site, Kobe Shimbun |
| Lottery time and numbers for 2027 | Not announced (past figures below; in 2024 the draw was open to people in line by midnight on January 10) | Kobe Shimbun |
| Entry / viewing fee | Not listed on the official site | Official site |
| Toka Ebisu festival | Sat Jan 9 (Yoi-Ebisu), Sun Jan 10 (Hon-Ebisu), Mon Jan 11, a national holiday (Nokori-fuku) | Weathernews, Nippon Tabi Magazine (three days), Cabinet Office holiday list (weekdays) |
Shrine schedule, January 8–15 (official annual calendar)
| Date and time | Event |
|---|---|
| Fri Jan 8, around 9:30 a.m. | Offering of the giant tuna (displayed in the worship hall for the three festival days) |
| Sat Jan 9, around 2:00 p.m. | Arima Onsen hot-spring water offering |
| Sat Jan 9, 4:00 p.m. | Toka Ebisu eve festival (Yoimiya-sai) |
| Sun Jan 10, midnight | Every gate of the shrine is closed while the priests keep a vigil (igomori) |
| Sun Jan 10, 4:00 a.m. | Toka Ebisu Grand Festival |
| Sun Jan 10, 6:00 a.m. | Kaimon Shinji Fukuotoko Erabi (the Red Gate opens) |
| Fri Jan 15, 10:00 a.m. | Thanksgiving festival for Toka Ebisu |
Weekdays are our mapping of the shrine's fixed dates onto the 2027 calendar (the Cabinet Office lists January 11, 2027 as Coming of Age Day).
How to take part: a lottery decides the front rows
There is no online sign-up and no entry fee on the shrine's website. You take part by lining up outside the gate on the day. Since 2005, though, the front positions have been allocated by drawing lots (Kobe Shimbun, January 10, 2023), and the shrine's own page for the Kaimon Shinji Kosha says the association helps run "the lottery, the gate opening and other preparations" for the ritual.
The draw is open to people already in line by midnight on January 10. Kobe Shimbun described the usual pre-COVID format as a lottery "at midnight" among the first 1,500 people (November 2, 2020), and reported that in 2024, 216 people were drawn from the 1,325 who had lined up by midnight on the 10th (January 10, 2024).
Past figures (the 2027 numbers are not yet announced):
| Year | Who could draw | Front-row places | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,325 people in line by midnight on Jan 10 | 216 | Kobe Shimbun, Jan 10, 2024 |
| 2023 (first edition in three years, reduced) | First 1,200 in line (300 fewer than usual) | About 210 | Kobe Shimbun, Nov 15, 2022 and Jan 10, 2023 |
| Up to 2020 (normal pre-COVID format) | First 1,500 or so in line | 258 in total (group 1: 108, group 2: 150) | Kobe Shimbun, Nov 2, 2020; Akashi College research bulletin No. 64 |
We could not confirm lottery numbers for 2025 or 2026 from a primary source, so they are not listed. Kobe Shimbun reported that the queue formed on the night of January 9 in 2023, and from the evening of January 9 in 2024. People who miss the lottery, or arrive after it, start behind the front groups. The shrine's official list of past winners records about 5,000 people at the gate before opening in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2021 and 2022 no fukuotoko were named because of COVID-19.
The course and how winners are decided
- Distance: about 230 m from the Red Gate to the main hall.
- Corners: the route includes the "Tenbin curve", which Kobe Shimbun describes as a 130-degree right turn, and it ends with a run up into the main hall, where a priest catches the arriving runner.
- Winners: the first three to arrive are recognised as ichiban-fuku, niban-fuku and sanban-fuku (first, second and third luck), and receive prizes (official "History of Kaimon Shinji").
- Certificate: the first 5,000 people waiting before the gate opens have received a Kaimon Shinji worship certificate (Kobe Shimbun, Nippon Tabi Magazine).
According to the shrine's own history page, the custom grew out of igomori, the old practice of shutting every gate on the night of January 9 and keeping still until dawn. Worshippers then hurried to the main hall at first light. For a long time only the first arrival was celebrated. The shrine began naming the top three as fukuotoko in 1940.
Getting there and parking
- Hanshin Main Line, Nishinomiya Station: about 5 minutes on foot south-west from the Ebisu exit. This is the closest station.
- JR Kobe Line, Sakura-Shukugawa Station: about 10 minutes south-east.
- JR Kobe Line, Nishinomiya Station: about 20 minutes south-west.
- Hankyu Kobe Line, Shukugawa Station: about 15 minutes south-east.
- By car: the shrine car park is in the south-west of the grounds, but the shrine says it may be unavailable during festivals. Weathernews's guide for the previous season listed no parking in the grounds from January 1 to 11 (its 2027 guide is due in December; checked 2026-10-13), so come by train.
Address: 1-17 Shakecho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 662-0974.
Tips before you go
- As of 2026-10-13 the official site gives no guidance on where non-runners can watch. Around the 6:00 a.m. opening, the gate area and the approach fill with runners. If you only want to pray, go after the dash has finished, or on January 9 or 11, when it is easier to move around.
- Early mornings in mid-January are cold. If you plan to queue overnight, bring warm layers and a hot drink.
- For a New Year shrine visit in Osaka, see Sumiyoshi Taisha Hatsumode.
Sources: Nishinomiya Shrine official site (January events, History of Kaimon Shinji, List of past fukuotoko, Kaimon Shinji Kosha, Access); Kobe Shimbun (November 2, 2020; November 15, 2022; January 10, 2023; January 10, 2024); Yuki Arakawa, Akashi College research bulletin No. 64 (2022); Weathernews hatsumode guide for Nishinomiya Shrine; Nippon Tabi Magazine; Cabinet Office national holidays list. Checked 2026-10-13.
Update log: 2026-10-13 page created from the shrine's fixed annual schedule. The official 2027 notice has not been posted yet.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- About 5 minutes on foot south-west from the Ebisu exit of Hanshin Nishinomiya Station. JR Sakura-Shukugawa Station is about 10 minutes, JR Nishinomiya about 20 minutes, Hankyu Shukugawa about 15 minutes. The shrine says its car park may be closed for festivals, and Weathernews's guide for the previous season listed no parking in the grounds from January 1 to 11 (checked 2026-10-13), so come by train. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- No entry or viewing fee is listed on the official site (checked 2026-10-13). Front-row starting spots are allocated by lottery. The 2027 lottery time and numbers are not announced yet.. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- The official shrine website is in Japanese only.
- Good for
- culture seekers, groups of friends
温馨提示
If you only want to pray, visit after the dash has finished, or on January 9 or 11, when it is easier to move around. If you plan to queue overnight, bring warm layers for the cold early morning. Last season there was no parking in the grounds from January 1 to 11 (Weathernews), so walk from Hanshin Nishinomiya Station.
常见问题
- When is Fukuotoko Erabi 2027?
- At 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 10, 2027. Nishinomiya Shrine's annual calendar fixes the gate-opening dash at 6:00 a.m. every January 10, straight after the 4:00 a.m. Toka Ebisu Grand Festival. As of 2026-10-13 the shrine has not posted a separate notice for the 2027 edition (Nishinomiya Shrine official site, checked 2026-10-13).
- How do I take part? Is there a lottery?
- There is no online sign-up or entry fee listed. You line up outside the gate on the day. Front-row starting spots have been decided by lottery since 2005, and the draw is open to people in line by midnight on January 10. In 2024, 216 front-row places were drawn from 1,325 people (Kobe Shimbun, January 10, 2024). In 2023, the first edition in three years, numbers were cut: about 210 places from the first 1,200 in line. Before COVID, 258 places were drawn from about 1,500 people (Kobe Shimbun, Akashi College bulletin). The shrine says its Kaimon Shinji Kosha association helps run the lottery. The time and numbers for 2027 are not yet announced.
- How long is the run and how are the lucky men chosen?
- Runners cover about 230 m from the Red Gate (Omote-daimon) to the main hall. The first three to arrive are named that year's fukuotoko (first, second and third luck) and receive prizes. The route includes the tight Tenbin curve (official site, Kobe Shimbun).
- What are the Nishinomiya Shrine Toka Ebisu 2027 dates?
- Saturday, January 9 (Yoi-Ebisu), Sunday, January 10 (Hon-Ebisu) and Monday, January 11, a national holiday (Nokori-fuku). The eve festival is at 4:00 p.m. on the 9th. The Grand Festival is at 4:00 a.m. on the 10th, followed by the dash at 6:00 a.m. The giant tuna is offered at around 9:30 a.m. on January 8 and displayed for the three festival days. (Ritual times: Nishinomiya Shrine official site. The January 9–11 span and the day names: Weathernews, Nippon Tabi Magazine, Wikipedia. Weekdays: Cabinet Office holiday list.)
- How do I get there? Can I drive?
- Walk about 5 minutes south-west from the Ebisu exit of Hanshin Nishinomiya Station. JR Sakura-Shukugawa Station is about 10 minutes away and Hankyu Shukugawa about 15. The shrine says festival days can close its car park, and Weathernews's guide for the previous season listed no parking in the grounds from January 1 to 11 (the 2027 guide is due in December), so take the train.
交通
Nishinomiya Shrine (Nishinomiya, Hyogo) — 1-17 Shakecho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 662-0974, Japan