A ritual foot race took place at Nishinomiya shrine in Hyogo prefecture this morning (Friday). The shrine is dedicated to a deity of business, Ebisu.

The annual race is famous because the winner is recognized as the “fuku-otoko,” which means “lucky man of the year.”

About 5,000 contestants ran out of the main gate of the shrine at 6 AM. Runners dashed to the main hall of the shrine, a distance of about 230 meters.

The winner of this year’s race was college freshman Seiki Kyoda. Kyoda used to be a top high school baseball player.

He said he was very happy, and planned "a wonderful year filled with laughter.”