Hokkaido 2019

These two rocks – iwa – are shintai: the physical entities harbour spiritual beings. They’re known as Ebisu Iwa (恵 比 寿 岩) and Daikoku Iwa (大 黒 岩) because of their striking resemblance to the gods of that name.

To the left, Ebisu, the god of fishermen. He’s chubby, holds a fishing rod in one hand and a rather hefty red seabass in the other. To the right, Daikoku, the god of wealth. He’s often depicted with a golden mallet. Both will bring you good fortune.