Thousands of men and women made a chaotic dash through the grounds of a shrine in Japan on Tuesday in a bid to win the annual “Lucky Man Run”.
Nishinomiya Shinto shrine in western Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture is dedicated to the god of Ebisu, a patron of businessmen and merchants, and the winner of the race is believed to be bestowed with a year’s worth of good luck.
At 6am (1am UAE), the Taiko drum beat the start the annual frenzy that drew in nearly 5,000 people, according to the organisers.
A university student from Tokyo, 21-year-old Takashi Suzuki clinched the first place in the 230-metre race through the shrine courtyard.
Two Hyogo residents, 24-year-old Ryo Watabe and 16-year-old Haruyuki Ono, claimed second and third.
* Reuters
