Ebisu Festival

The Kōko Grand Festival is a festival held for four days starting on November 17 at Kōko Shrine in the center of Hiroshima City. Kōko Shrine is located in the Kochi-machi shopping area, and in conjunction with the festival the shopping street holds a major sale. It is said to be one of Hiroshima’s three major temple and shrine festivals, making it a very large-scale celebration. Kōko Shrine is known as a deity of business, and merchants from across Japan come seeking kumade rakes (komazarae) lavishly decorated with colorful and variously sized lucky charms for prosperity in business. The prices of these kumade, said to "rake in" happiness, range widely from 4,500 yen to 200,000 yen. The shopping street and Chuo-dori become pedestrian-only zones (Chuo-dori is called "Ebessan"), and more than 100,000 people visit during the festival period. It has continued uninterrupted for more than 400 years and was not even canceled during wartime. In fact, it is said that it is not enough to buy only a kumade: the set is completed when you also have a "koma-fuda" talisman prayed over at Kōko Shrine and attach it to the kumade you purchased. To get to the Kōko Grand Festival, it is a 4-minute walk from Umebayashi Station.