Ishizu Futsu Jinja

Iwatsuta Jinja is enshrined in Nishi-ku, Sakai City, Osaka, and is celebrated as one of the oldest Ebisu shrines in Japan. According to ancient tradition, Hiruko-no-Mikoto, set adrift by Izanagi and Izanami, drifted ashore here on a reed boat, placing five sacred colored stones at this spot. A shrine was constructed during the reign of Emperor Kōshō, with Yaegoto-Shirojinushi-no-Mikoto and Ame-no-Hohi-no-Mikoto enshrined together. Toyotomi Hideyoshi venerated the shrine as the guardian of the back-demon gate of Osaka Castle, and Kimura Shigenari donated gold for its restoration. The annual Yassai Hossai Festival on December 14th—a fire ritual used to divine fortune by the direction a sacred bonfire falls—has long drawn the deep faith of the region.