JAPAN PICS
Nishinomiya City, Hyogo
兵庫県西宮市
Table of Contents

  Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine (西宮神社)
  
  
  
JAPAN PICS GENERAL INDEX
Hokkaido District
  
Do-o (Hokkaido Central)
  
   Naganuma Town (The Tsuchinotomi Society Tour)
2006
   Otaru City (The Tsuchinotomi Society Tour)
2006
   Sapporo City (The Tsuchinotomi Society Tour)
2006
   Sapporo City ("Nihon-no-Matsuri" 2006)
2006
Iwate of the Tohoku District
  
   Esashi, Oshu City
2004-2011
   Hachimantai City
2006
   Hanamaki City
2005-2007
   Hiraizumi Town
2003-2007
   Ichinoseki City
2004-2010
   Iwaizumi Town
2005
   Kitakami City
2005
   Miyako City
2009-2011
   Mizusawa, Oshu City
2004-2012
   Morioka City
2004-2012
   Ninohe City
2007
   Rikuzentakata City
2008-2011
   Shizukuishi Town
2007
   Tono City
2003
Other Tohoku Regions
  
Aomori
  
   Hachinohe City (The Tsuchinotomi Society Tour)
2006
Miyagi
  
   Matsushima Town
2006
   Tome City
2005
Yamagata
  
   Yamadera, Yamagata City
2005
Kanto District
  
Ibaraki
  
   Joso City
2007
   Kashima City
2006
   Mito City
2008
   Shimotsuma City
2007
Kanagawa
  
   Kamakura City
2005-2007
Tochigi
  
   Nikko City
2002-2007
   Utsunomiya City
2007
Tokyo
  
   Tokyo Central
2002-2012
Yamanashi
  
   Kofu City
2007
Chubu District
  
Aichi
  
   Nagoya City
2008
   Toyokawa City
2009
Fukui
  
   Eiheiji Town
2009
   Fukui City
2009-2011
   Obama City
2009
   Tsuruga City
2009-2011
Gifu
  
   Gujo-Hachiman
2009
   Sekigahara Town
2008
Ishikawa
  
   Kanazawa City
2008
Nagano
  
   Nagano City
2007
   Matsumoto City
2007
Shizuoka
  
   Fuji City
2009-2010
Kansai (Kinki) District
  
Hyogo
  
   Ako City
2008
   Himeji City
2008
   Kobe City
2008-2012
   Nishinomiya City
2012
   Tamba City
2010
Kyoto
  
   Kyoto City Central
2005-2012
   Kyoto City East
2005-2012
   Kyoto City North
2005-2011
   Kyoto City South
2006-2012
   Kyoto City West
2005-2012
   Ayabe City
2010
   Maizuru City
2010
   Miyazu City
2012
   Uji City
2006
   Yahata City
2006
Mie
  
   Iga City
2011
   Ise City
2009
Nara
  
   Asuka Area
2006
   Ikaruga Town
2005
   Nara City Central
2006-2010
   Nishinokyo, Nara City
2005-2010
   Sakurai City
2011
   Tenri City
2011-2012
   Yoshino Town
2010
Osaka
  
   Hirakata City
2005-2012
   Osaka City Central
2007-2011
   Sakai City
2010
Shiga
  
   Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City
2008-2010
   Hikone City
2008
   Koka City
2011
   Nagahama City
2008-2011
   Otsu City
2006-2009
Wakayama
  
   Koya Town
2009
   Wakayama City
2011
Chugoku District
  
Hiroshima
  
   Hiroshima City
2002-2012
   Miyajima, Hatsukaichi City
2002-2012
   Onomichi City
2002
Okayama
  
   Kurashiki City
2008
   Okayama City
2008
Shimane
  
   Izumo City
2011
   Oda City
2012
   Tsuwano Town
2012
Yamaguchi
  
   Hagi City
2012
   Iwakuni City
2012
   Shimonoseki City
2010-2012
   Yamaguchi City
2010-2012
Shikoku District
  
Ehime
  
   Matsuyama City
2011
Kagawa
  
   Kotohira Town
2011
   Takamatsu City
2011
Kochi
  
   Kochi City
2011
Kyushu District
  
Fukuoka
  
   Dazaifu City
2010
   Fukuoka City
2010
   Kitakyushu City
2010-2012
Kagoshima
  
   Hioki City
2010
   Kagoshima City
2010
Nagasaki
  
   Nagasaki City
2010
Oita
  
   Oita City
2010

Nishinomiya City, Hyogo
23 March 2012

  Nishinomiya City (西宮市) is a city located in Hyogo, Japan, between the cities of Osaka and Kobe.  On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary.  It is best known as the home of Koshien Stadium (甲子園球場), where the Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース) baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball championship is held.  It is also the location of Kwansei Gakuin University (関西大学), a private university founded by American missionaries in the nineteenth century.  Nishinomiya is an important commercial and shipping city in the Kansai region with the third largest population in Hyogo Prefecture.
  Nishinomiya City is located in the south-east of Hyogo Prefecture between the cities of Kobe and Osaka.  It is bordered by Osaka Bay to the south, the cities of Amagasaki (尼崎市), Itami (伊丹市) and Takarazuka (宝塚市) along the Muko-gawa (武庫川) and Ni-gawa (新川) rivers to the east and by a part of the Rokko Mountains and Kobe City to the north.  The city can be divided into two areas: a mountainous area in the north and a coastal plain in the south. Situated in the middle is Mount Kabuto (甲山, 309 meters), a landmark of the city.  The city has an area of 99.96 sq. km and population of 482,858 (1 April, 2012).  (Extracted from the site of "Wikipedia")

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Nishonomiya-jinjya
     Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine (西宮神社) is located at 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City (西宮市社家町1番17号).  It is a Shinto shrine in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.  It is the head shrine of the Ebisu sect of Shinto (えびす宮総本社), and it is said that there are about 3,500 shrines under it.  Locals call the shrine ‘Ebessan’ (えべっさん).  It is famous for the Toka-Ebisu festival (十日戎開門神事福男選び), which is held on January 10 every year.  Particular to this festival is the "Lucky Men" (福男) race.  Begun during the Edo Period, participants gather in front of the shrine's main gate before 6 am on the 10th of January.  At 6 am, the shrine's drum sounds, the gates are opened, and the assembled crowd sprints perilously 230 meters to the main hall.  The top three finishers are given the title of "Lucky Men," and of those three the champion is known as the "Luckiest Man."  The race has been known to attract more than 6,000 runners.  
  Nishinomiya-jinjya Shrine has three small inner shrines and each shrine enshrines one or two kami.  The first shrine enshrines Nishinomiya-Okami (西宮大神), or Ebisu-no-mikoto (蛭子命), namely Ebisu.  The kami of the second shrine are Amaterasu-Omikami (天照大御神) and Okuninushino-Mikoto (大国主大神).  The third shrine is for Susanoono-Mikoto (須佐之男大神).
  It is not clear when this shrine was established.  However, it is recorded that it was already at this site, under the name Ebisu-sha, and attracting many worshippers during the Heian Period.  For many centuries it was known as Nangu-sha (南宮社), the "Southern Shrine," in reference to its status as a branch shrine of Hirota Shrine (廣田神社), which is located to its north in Nishinomiya.  Nishinomiya Shrine itself had a similar relationship with Koshikiiwa-jinjya Shrine (越木岩神社), which was sometimes called Kita no Ebisu, meaning the Northern Ebisu.  (Extracted from the site of "Wikipedia")
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(Friday 23 March) Illustrated map of Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City
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(Friday 23 March) The approach to be the "Lucky Men," Nishonomiya-jinjya Shrine, 1-17 Shake-cho, Nishimoniya City



        


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