[Toka Ebisu] Ebisu's business model is amazing!

This is Haraoka from Beyond

This time we will be talking about Ebisu, commonly known as Ebessan

Since our founding, Beyond has visited Ebisu Shrine every year

■What is Ebesan?

The Ebisu Shrine festival, held on January 10th and the surrounding days of the 9th and 11th, is commonly known as "Ebessan." Around January 10th, worshippers pray to Ebisu (or Ebisu-sama), the god revered as the god of business prosperity,forsuccess in their businesses. This festivalwestern Japanis common in

What is Toka Ebisu? - Hatena Keywords

Surprisingly, this system is not well known outside of the Kansai region, so I would like to explain how it works

The most famous Ebisu shrines are Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in Osaka and Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo

■Nishinomiya Shrine

Nishinomiya Ebisu is famous for the annual race to determine the vice-man

Something like this↓

Imamiya Ebisu Shrine

Beyond is based in Osaka, so we visit Imamiya Ebisu Shrine every year

Imamiya Ebisu is the god of business, and as such, it is amazing how people make regular visits there every year

Mechanism 1: Cheerful background music

When you enter Imamiya Ebisu, cheerful background music will play

"Business is booming, so bring some bamboo."

The music and the excitement in the temple grounds get me excited to do it again this year

Mechanism 2: Freemium model

At Ebisu Shrine, as the background music suggests, you receive a lucky bamboo branch. This lucky bamboo branch is free, but since it's just a plain bamboo branch, you buy auspicious bamboo decorations called "small treasures" or "good fortune" to receive blessings from the gods. This is exactly what we would call a freemium model today.

Lucky Bamboo ⇒ Initial Equipment

Bamboo decoration ⇒ Paid enhancement item

In other words, you can strengthen your initial equipment, the lucky bamboo, by purchasing items and bamboo decorations. Each bamboo decoration costs from 1500 yen, so if you buy three or four, it can get quite expensive

The meaning of decoration

It is a bundle of auspicious items such as a coin purse, a coin bag, a large coin, an oval coin, a silver coin, a black hat, a mortar, a mallet, a rice bale, and a sea bream, and symbolizes the bounty of the fields, mountains, and sea bream

See the Imamiya Ebisu Shrine website

Mechanism 3: Idol-like elements

At Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, 50 "Fuku Musume" (lucky girls) are selected every year.


There is an audition every year, and when a Fuku Musume is selected, it is featured prominently in the news and newspapers. These Fuku Musume are all very pretty, and they are like an idol group with members that change frequently. These Fuku Musume act as advertising ambassadors, and the cost-effectiveness seems to be quite high. When you visit the shrine, you choose a Fuku Musume from among them who you think will bring you good fortune and have her decorate your bamboo branch. Buying from your favorite Fuku Musume adds another element of supporting an idol.

Mechanism 4: Secret Trick

Furthermore, after praying, there is a little trick to do (although most people know this): since Ebisu-san is hard of hearing, you go around to the back and bang on the drum with your hands, saying "Ebisu-san, please ask me" to make your prayer

System 5: Open 24 hours

In fact, Ebesan has been open all this time. Ebesan is the god of prosperous business, so many business people come to visit. Naturally, many people can't come during the day and come late at night, so for that reason, the shrine is open 24 hours a day for three days. It will be open for 72 consecutive hours, from midnight on the 9th to midnight on the 11th!!

*However, Fukumusume and fortune-telling are available from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Mechanism 6: Recurring billing

The lucky bamboo is replaced every year, so you go to pray every year and receive a new bamboo. I've been going there for over 10 years now, and if business is going well, I go to pray to give thanks, and if business is not going well, I go to pray to pray for good fortune this year! In other words, either way, there is a system of endless recurring charges that requires you to visit every year. I think the repeat customer rate for people who are running businesses is quite high

 

summary

So, Ebesan is a festival packed with profitable business elements, such as cheerful background music, a freemium model, idol support elements, secret tricks, 24-hour operation, and recurring subscriptions

There are also many other stalls set up, and there are plenty of fun things to do, such as stopping by Minami on your way home, so if you haven't been there yet, be sure to check it out