Tori-no-ichi is an annual traditional festival held at shrines and temples nationwide on three separate days (rooster days) in November to wish for good luck and prosperity in business. The festival has been held in the Asakusa area since the Edo period at Ootori Shrine and Chokokuji Temple. The festivity occurs from midnight to midnight with ‘kumade’ rakes decorated with gold and silver sold by lively vendors in the shrine and temple compound.
Taiko drumming will signal the start of the event on November 15 at midnight.
This year, you must pre-register to join in any festivities, ceremonies or prayers. Website here (JP only).
This is the second part of the festival. There’s also:
You can make your wish for good luck while enjoying the atmosphere of Tokyo’s old downtown at this late fall/early winter event.
Read our Tori no Ichi article for a more in depth look at the festival.
What to buy
At this fair, the main item being peddled is the kumade, a decorative bamboo rake that’s said to, well, rake in good luck. While elaborate ones can cost hundreds of thousands of yen (don’t worry, if you can’t buy the gorgeous ones, you can still take pictures of them), you can get simpler, smaller ones for ¥1,000–¥2,000. For every purchase, merchants will perform a clapping ritual for good fortune.
Also, be sure to sink your teeth into some of the tasty food on offer. We recommend the old-school sweets—and, as always, just about anything on a stick (except maybe those chocolate bananas with the eyes).
