Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 99% | Top-right red rectangle reads 「奉拝 浅草名所七福神」 in tensho — the Asakusa Meisho Shichifukujin Pilgrimage marker. Bottom-left red square seal reads 浅草神社 in tensho. The central calligraphy is 「恵比須」 (Ebisu) — the Lucky God assigned to Asakusa Jinja in this pilgrimage. The center elaborate seal depicts an Ebisu figure (deity holding fishing rod and sea bream — Ebisu's iconic attributes). |
| Date | 97% | Left column reads 令和六年五月二十日 = 20 May 2024. Same day as entries 11–18 (the Asakusa Shichifukujin pilgrimage day). |
Identification
- Issuing shrine: 浅草神社 (Asakusa Jinja) — same shrine as entry 11
- Goshuin variant: 浅草名所七福神 — 恵比須 (Ebisu) station
- Pilgrimage: 浅草名所七福神 (Asakusa Meisho Shichifukujin) — Asakusa Famous Sites Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage
- Asakusa Jinja's role in the pilgrimage: Ebisu station
- Date received: 令和六年五月二十日 = 20 May 2024
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 奉拝 浅草名所七福神 (tensho) | "Humbly worshipped — Asakusa Meisho Shichifukujin" | Top right, red rectangle — the pilgrimage circuit marker |
| 恵比須 | Ebisu — the lucky god of fishermen, commerce, and prosperity | Center, large brush |
| Ebisu figure (red ornate seal) | Stylized Ebisu holding fishing rod and sea bream | Center, red ornate seal |
| 浅草神社 (tensho) | Issuing shrine in seal script | Bottom-left red square seal |
| 令和六年五月二十日 | 20 May 2024 | Left column, brush |
About 浅草名所七福神 (Asakusa Meisho Shichifukujin)
The Asakusa Famous Sites Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage is one of Tokyo's most accessible Shichifukujin pilgrimage circuits — covering 9 shrines/temples representing 7 deities in the Asakusa-Senjū area. The "9 places for 7 gods" arrangement is unusual; most Shichifukujin pilgrimages have exactly 7 sites, but Asakusa added two extra shrines representing the same deities (寿老人 has two shrines; 福禄寿 has two shrines).
The 9 sites and their deities
| # | Site | Deity | Blessing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 浅草寺 (Sensō-ji) | 大黒天 (Daikokuten) | Wealth, kitchen, agriculture |
| 2 | 浅草神社 (Asakusa Jinja) | 恵比須 (Ebisu) | Fishing, commerce, honest livelihood |
| 3 | 待乳山聖天 (Matsuchiyama Shōden) | 毘沙門天 (Bishamonten) | Warrior protection, victory |
| 4 | 今戸神社 (Imado Jinja) | 福禄寿 (Fukurokuju) | Long life, wisdom, descendants |
| 5 | 不動院 (Hashiba Fudō-in) | 布袋尊 (Hotei) | Contentment, generosity |
| 6 | 石浜神社 (Ishihama Jinja) | 寿老神 (Jurōjin) | Longevity |
| 7 | 吉原神社 (Yoshiwara Jinja) | 弁財天 (Benzaiten) | Arts, music, eloquence, water |
| 8 | 鷲神社 (Ōtori Jinja) | 寿老人 (Jurōjin) — 2nd | Longevity (alternate site) |
| 9 | 矢先稲荷神社 (Yasaki Inari) | 福禄寿 (Fukurokuju) — 2nd | Long life, wisdom (alternate site) |
To complete the full pilgrimage, visitors collect goshuin from all 9 sites — typically over a single long day (or split across multiple visits). The pilgrimage is most popular during the New Year period (1–7 January), when collecting all 9 in succession is considered especially auspicious. May visits like the user's are less common but still valid.
The user's circuit on 20 May 2024
This book documents 3 of the 9 stations in the Asakusa Shichifukujin:
- Asakusa Jinja — 恵比須 (this entry, #2)
- Sensō-ji — 大黒天 (entry 15, #1)
- Yasaki Inari — 福禄寿 (entry 16, #9)
The user did not complete the full 9-site circuit on 20 May 2024 — they collected 3 stations + multiple non-pilgrimage goshuin (Asakusa Jinja standard, Sensō-ji standard, Hikan Inari, etc.). This is a common pattern: collect a few of the Shichifukujin while doing a general Asakusa visit, without committing to the full pilgrimage.
(The user did previously visit Imado Jinja — Fukurokuju in Book 1 entry 03 on 25 May 2023, which is also a Shichifukujin station. So across the entire collection, the user has 4 of 9 stations.)
About Ebisu (恵比須 / 恵比寿 / 蛭子)
Ebisu is the only Japanese-origin deity in the Seven Lucky Gods (the others were imported from China and India via Buddhism). He is associated with:
- Fishing and the sea — depicted with a fishing rod and a giant sea bream (tai) tucked under his arm
- Honest livelihood — Ebisu is the "honest worker's deity," patron of fishermen and merchants
- Commerce and trade — the modern interpretation extends his fisherman role to all forms of honest commerce
- Smiling face (恵比須顔, ebisugao) — Ebisu is depicted with a permanent kind smile, which gave Japanese the idiom "Ebisu face" for a smiling expression
His association with Asakusa Jinja is fitting: the shrine's three principal deities are themselves two fishermen and a village headman, all common-folk figures matching Ebisu's working-class deity profile.
What the blessing carries
- 商売繁盛 (shōbai hanjō) — business prosperity (Ebisu's primary domain)
- 大漁満足 (tairyō manzoku) — abundant fishing catch (literal Ebisu blessing, more metaphorical for non-fishermen)
- 正直な労働 (shōjiki na rōdō) — honest labor's reward
- Asakusa Shichifukujin pilgrimage credit — completion-credit for collectors trying to finish the full 9-site circuit