Tori-no-Ichi: Tokyo’s Feast of Abundance and Good Fortune
At Tori-no-Ichi, a year-end celebration often referred to as Japanese Thanksgiving, visitors are not only guaranteed a unique cultural experience but also the promise of good fortunes and prosperity for the year to come.
Sense of Wander: ★★★★★
This ostentatious kumade features a maneki-neko, or “beckoning cat”, flaunting its muscular left arm — an exaggerated display of the symbolic gesture believed to usher in good luck for the owner.
TOKYO, Japan — Imagine a day when Tokyo’s shrines and temples come alive with vibrant hue, spirited chants, and the promise of good fortune. This is no ordinary celebration; it’s a tradition that has transcended centuries, echoing back to the Edo period (1603-1868).
In the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, the festive Tori-no-Ichi, also known as the Japanese Thanksgiving, beckons contemporary pilgrims to converge at this crossroad of belief and tradition. Amidst the incense-laden air, the scene unfolds with devout individuals forming long queues to pay homage to the deity, the fervent art of spirited bartering, and an eager anticipation for a new beginning.
Join me on a journey into the heart of Tokyo’s Tori-no-Ichi, where business owners, merchants and everyday citizens unite inter quest for blessings of luck and success. Here, tradition meets the pulsating vitality of the modern world.
What is Tori-no-Ichi?
Tori-no-Ichi (酉の市), literally “Rooster Market”, is an annual festival held every November on the Days of the Rooster, as per the Chinese zodiac calendar, known as jikkan junishi (十干十二支). This year-end celebration, also referred to as “oh-tori-no-machi” and “otori-sama”, has been celebrated in Tokyo for more than two centuries.
The festival unfolds from the stroke of midnight to the next day, drawing in merchants and business owners who come to pay homage to the festival’s spirit and acquire a kumade (“bear’s paw”), or rake, from the vendors.
Tracing its roots back to the mid-18th century, Tori-no-Ichi originated as a thanksgiving ritual where farmers presented chickens to the shrine. Over time, it evolved into a marketplace where merchants and farmers sell their produce, thereby settling their annual debts. Today, it stands as a vibrant festival where echoes of fervent prayers for success in the upcoming year reverberate in the air.
Believed to have originated at Asakusa’s Otori Shrine (鷲神社) and the adjacent Chokoku-ji Temple (長國寺), historically considered the “mother” of the shrine, Tori-no-Ichi is thought to have gained popularity in Asakusa due to the combined blessings from Buddha and kami (native Japanese gods).
For festival-goers, the purchases made at Tori-no-Ichi represent the initial steps in preparing for New Year celebrations, transforming this special occasion into a symbolic bridge that connects the past year with the promise of the next.
On the Day of the Rooster, the entrance to the Otori Shrine is graced by a gigantic kumade, adorned with the ever-smiling Otafuku mask and an array of talismans and charms.
Edo-style lanterns illuminate the surroundings outside the Otori Shrine, infusing the night in Tokyo with a vibrant festive atmosphere.
What to Anticipate?
Asakusa’s Tori-no-Ichi draws a sea of festival-goers on the big day, with the crowd growing denser as the hours pass, animating the spectacle.
Though the official festivities kick off at night, I opted for an early visit, just as the sun was poised to dip below the horizon. This strategic timing allowed me to see the venue illuminated by lanterns, while sparing me from the peak of bustling crowds.
Upon reaching the threshold to the sacred grounds, I was taken aback by the number of people forming long queues, a remarkable sight with lines extending to both ends of the street.
But don’t let the queues discourage you from experiencing the festival; they are for people who are eager to pay tribute and offer prayers at the Otori Shrine. If you’re visiting for the first time, simply bypass the shrine entrance and go through the entrance access leading to the adjacent Chokoku-ji Temple. This way, you can skip the line and dive straight into the heart of the celebration.
Visitors offering prayers at Chokoku-ji Temple on the occasion of Tori-no-Ichi festival.
Within the grounds of Otori Shrine and Chokoku-ji Temple, visitors can explore and purchase a diverse array of kumade offered by dozens of vendors.
What to Buy?
Tori-no-Ichi, also referred to as the Rake Fair, is renowned for its animated array of vendors peddling a diverse assortment of traditional kumade, ornamental bamboo rakes essential to any Tori-no-Ichi celebration.
At each stall, you’ll encounter a spectrum of kumade, ranging from dainty rakes to flamboyant ones suspended in mid-air. Crafted with the aim of attracting good luck, particularly in business ventures, these rakes are richly adorned with rice straw ropes and an eclectic assortment of lucky charms, amulets, and talismans, meticulously designed in various colours and patterns to “rake in” luck and prosperity for the upcoming year.
A prominent presence among these talismans is the Otafuku mask. This white visage of the ever-smiling Otafuku, also known as Okame, is often hailed as the Goddess of Mirth, believed to bring good fortune to those she graces.
The kumade comes in sizes ranging from delicate bowl-sized ornaments to towering displays that stretch several meters high. The tradition is to start small, returning the previous year’s kumade to the shrine, and upgrading to a slightly bigger one to harvest even greater fortunes. Beyond business aspirations, the diverse talismans embellishing the kumade extend a promise of good fortune for the New Year to all who partake in the celebration.
With precision, a vendor writes auspicious phrases onto a wooden plaque that will be used to embellish the kumade.
A staple of Tori-no-Ichi, the kumade is a bamboo rake ornamented with a myriad of talismans and lucky charms.
A colossal kumade showcases a treasure boat adorned with a multitude of talismans. The character “夢”, signifying “dream”, is inscribed towards the bottom.
Prices range from ¥2,000 to well over ¥10,000. With each purchase, vendors perform a clapping ritual (tejime) for good fortune — although, in my case, the vendor seemed a bit too preoccupied for the customary practice. However, the echoes of clapping rituals filled the air as I wandered through the festival.
Following the tradition, I chose for a small wooden plaque adorned with a miniature kumade. This intricate kumade carries good-fortune motifs such as the Otafuku mask, gold coins, the maneki-neko or “beckoning cat”, and a golden turtle — a symbol of longevity and perseverance — intricately woven in mizuhiki (the Japanese art of knot-tying).
After selecting my kumade, I was invited to pick two mini banners, each carrying phrases of fortune. I settled on “fulfilling wishes” and “smooth sailing”, to which the vendor added a wheat stalk, symbolising abundance, as I was told.
For those seeking a modest keepsake, basic and unadorned rakes are available for just over ¥1,000 at the Otori shrine and Chokoku-ji temple. After your purchase, take a moment to linger. Lift the rake high and wander through the festival — according to legend, this allows the rake to absorb good luck and prosperity from the festive atmosphere.
Before you leave, make sure to visit the night market nearby, offering a variety of delights, ranging from traditional taiyaki to sizzling BBQ meats and tantalising takoyaki. The diverse culinary offerings, coupled with the goldfish scooping stall, transported me back to the lively night markets of Taiwan, a place etched in my memories since childhood.
Whether you’re in Tokyo for business or leisure, seize the chance to immerse yourself fully in this unique experience if you happen to be visiting in November!
First-time visitors seeking a small souvenir at Tori-no-Ichi can acquire a mini kumade.
Tips for wanderer — In addition to the Otori Shrine and Chokoku-ji Temple in Asakusa, you can also experience Tori-no-Ichi at the Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku.
In 2023, the Tori-no-Ichi extravaganza graced the city of Tokyo on November 11 and 23.