Tori-no-ichi is a November fair held at Otori (eagle) shrines across Tokyo. People go to buy a decorated bamboo rake called a kumade, which is said to “rake in” good luck and business success for the coming year. For Tori-no-ichi 2026 the fair days are Saturday, November 7 (Ichi-no-tori) and Thursday, November 19 (Ni-no-tori). The biggest and liveliest fair is at Otori Shrine (Washi Jinja) in Asakusa. This guide explains where to go, how to buy a kumade without feeling lost, what to eat, and when to visit to avoid the worst crowds.
Updated October 2026 — reviewed by Sunny Pham Sensei (Lệ Nhật Sensei), Japan National Acupuncture License No. 196186 (鍼師) / 195591 (灸師). Written by the Fuji Wellness team, based locally in Edogawa City, east Tokyo.
What is Tori-no-ichi?
Tori-no-ichi (酉の市) means “rooster market”. The fair is held on the days of the rooster (tori) in November, counted by the traditional 12-day zodiac cycle. Because the cycle repeats every 12 days, November has either two or three rooster days. In 2026 there are only two. There is a popular old saying that years with a third rooster day (San-no-tori) have more fires, but there is no third day this year.
The fair started as a harvest festival in what is now Adachi Ward. Over time Asakusa became the most famous venue. Today the stalls sell kumade covered in good-luck symbols: gold coins (koban), masks of the smiling Okame, treasure ships, rice bales, cranes and turtles. Shop owners, restaurant families and small companies buy one every year for their business, but plenty of locals buy a small one for home.
For visitors, Tori-no-ichi is one of the most atmospheric evenings in Tokyo. You get lantern-lit lanes, sellers shouting, hand-clapping ceremonies every few minutes and street food. Entry is free.
Tori-no-ichi 2026 dates and venues
| Venue | Area | 2026 dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otori Shrine (Washi Jinja) and Chokokuji Temple | Asakusa / Senzoku, Taito | Sat Nov 7 and Thu Nov 19 | Tokyo’s largest Tori-no-ichi. Runs for 24 hours, starting at 0:00 on each fair day |
| Hanazono Shrine | Shinjuku | Rooster days (Nov 7 and Nov 19) | One of the “three great” Tori-no-ichi of the Kanto region |
| Shin-Koiwa Yakuyoke Katori Shrine (“Shin-Koiwa no Otori-sama”) | Shinkoiwa, Edogawa | November rooster days | Small neighbourhood fair. Past listings gave 9:00–21:00. The 2026 schedule had not been published when we checked |
| Okunitama Shrine | Fuchu, western Tokyo | Rooster days | Large fair, but about an hour from central Tokyo |
The dates for Asakusa come from the official Asakusa Tori-no-ichi site. The fair is run jointly by Otori Shrine and its neighbour, Chokokuji Temple, so you will see both names. For Shin-Koiwa, check the shrine notice board or local listings in late October before you go.
Otori Shrine, Asakusa: what to expect
Otori Shrine sits about 15 minutes’ walk north of Sensoji, in the quiet backstreets of Senzoku. On fair days the lanes around it fill with kumade stalls lit by paper lanterns and piled high with rakes. The official site describes the Asakusa fair as Tokyo’s largest and busiest.
Key details from the official Q&A:
- Hours: the fair runs for 24 hours on each rooster day. The first drum (ichiban-daiko) is struck at midnight, so Ichi-no-tori starts at 0:00 on Saturday, November 7.
- Stalls: food stalls and kumade sellers start trading on the evening before and keep going into the early hours after the fair day ends. In practice the busiest time is the evening of the day itself.
- Weather: the fair goes ahead in rain.
- Returning last year’s kumade: there are collection points at both Otori Shrine and Chokokuji.
Getting there: the nearest stations are Iriya on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (Exit 3, about 7 minutes’ walk), Asakusa on the Tsukuba Express (about 8 minutes) and Minowa on the Hibiya Line (about 9 minutes). From the Sensoji area, simply walk north along Kokusai-dori. The official access page also lists a Toei bus between Nippori and Kinshicho, which stops at Ryusen, 2 minutes from the shrine. That is useful if you are staying in east Tokyo. Roads around the shrine are closed or congested on fair days, so do not take a taxi right to the gate.
If you are spending the rest of the day in Asakusa, our Asakusa visitor and acupuncture guide and east Tokyo one-day itinerary give route ideas.
How to buy a kumade: etiquette and the hand-clap
Buying a kumade has its own small rituals. You do not need to know them all, because sellers are used to first-timers, but it helps to know how it works.
- Browse first. Prices are usually not displayed. Small kumade start at around ¥1,000–2,000, and large business rakes can cost tens of thousands of yen or much more.
- Ask the price and negotiate a little. Light haggling is part of the fun. The seller names a price, you ask for a bit less, and they agree with a laugh.
- Leave the discount as a tip. Traditionally you pay the original price anyway and leave the discount as goshugi (a celebratory tip). The official Q&A describes this custom. It is a gesture, not a rule, so do what feels comfortable.
- Join the tejime. Once the deal is done, the sellers gather round and lead a rhythmic hand-clap (tejime) for your good fortune, usually with a loud “Iyo-o!” before each set. The basic pattern, ippon-jime, is clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap, clap: nine claps and one more. Sanbon-jime is the same pattern done three times. Just clap along with everyone else. Bystanders often join in too.
- Carry it high. Kumade are carried held up, not dragged along at your side. At home they are hung high on a wall, ideally where visitors can see them.
Tradition says you should start small and buy a slightly bigger kumade each year, ideally from the same stall. You then return the old one to the shrine. If you are visiting Japan only once, a small kumade or a shrine charm is a perfectly good souvenir.
Smaller charms. If a full rake is too big for your luggage, Chokokuji’s charm counter sells the traditional kakkome kumade charm (a small bamboo rake with rice ears, ¥1,000) and other rake charms from about ¥1,500–2,500. They fit easily in a suitcase.
Food stalls and lucky snacks
The approach lanes around Otori Shrine turn into a long yatai (street-food) corridor. You will find the usual festival favourites: yakisoba, takoyaki, grilled squid, chocolate bananas and amazake (a warm, sweet rice drink) for cold nights. Two foods are specific to Tori-no-ichi:
- Kirizansho (切山椒): soft, chewy rice-cake sticks flavoured with Japanese sansho pepper. They are slightly sweet with a gentle tingle, and are eaten for protection against bad luck.
- Yatsugashira (八つ頭): a large taro root with many “heads”. It is a lucky symbol for rising to the top and for a prosperous family. It is sold raw, so it is better as a photo than as something to take home.
Bring cash, preferably coins and ¥1,000 notes. Many food stalls and kumade sellers do not take cards.
Best times to go and how to handle the crowds
Asakusa’s Tori-no-ichi draws very large crowds. Media reports often quote several hundred thousand visitors over the fair days. Some practical tips:
- Calmest: weekday mornings and early afternoons. Ni-no-tori on Thursday, November 19 is likely to be calmer than the Saturday fair on November 7.
- Most atmospheric (and busiest): from about 18:00 to 22:00, when the lanterns are lit and the tejime claps never stop. Expect slow, shoulder-to-shoulder queues near the shrine gate.
- Midnight opening: the first drum at 0:00 is a local event in its own right. If you go, check last trains back to your hotel.
- Queues to pray: there is often a separate line for the main shrine. You can skip it and still walk the stall lanes.
- Dress warmly. Mid-November evenings in Tokyo are cool, often around 10°C, and you will be standing still a lot.
If the Asakusa crowds feel like too much, a smaller neighbourhood fair such as Shin-Koiwa’s gives you the same kumade and clapping on a much more local scale.
Pairing Tori-no-ichi with a recovery visit
A Tori-no-ichi evening often comes at the end of a long day on your feet in Asakusa. Fuji Wellness is an English- and Vietnamese-speaking acupuncture clinic in Matsushima, Edogawa City. It is about 40 minutes door to door from Asakusa and about 20 minutes from Kinshicho. Shin-Koiwa Katori Shrine, which hosts its own Tori-no-ichi, is roughly 11 minutes’ walk from the clinic.
Ways the 2026 dates fit the clinic hours:
- Saturday, November 7 (Ichi-no-tori): the clinic is open 8:00–12:00. Some visitors book a morning session, have lunch, then head to Asakusa for the evening fair.
- Thursday, November 19 (Ni-no-tori): the clinic is open 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00, so either a morning or an early-afternoon session works before an evening visit.
We work by appointment only and are closed on Fridays. For buses and walking routes, see how to get to Fuji Wellness from Kinshicho, Kameido and Shinkoiwa, and book through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
When is Tori-no-ichi 2026?
Tori-no-ichi 2026 falls on Saturday, November 7 (Ichi-no-tori) and Thursday, November 19 (Ni-no-tori). There is no third rooster day in 2026. At Otori Shrine in Asakusa, each fair day runs for 24 hours, starting with a drum at midnight.
How much does a kumade cost?
Small kumade start at around ¥1,000–2,000. Larger business rakes can cost tens of thousands of yen or more. Prices are often not displayed and light haggling is normal. Shrine and temple counters also sell small rake charms, such as the kakkome kumade charm at Chokokuji for ¥1,000.
Do I have to clap when I buy a kumade?
No, but it is fun to join in. After you buy, the sellers lead a rhythmic hand-clap called tejime for your luck. Simply follow their rhythm: three sets of three claps and then a single clap. Bystanders often clap along.
Can I bring a kumade home on the plane?
Small kumade and rake charms usually fit in a suitcase or carry-on. Large ones are bulky and fragile. Check your airline’s baggage rules, and remember that kumade are made from natural materials such as bamboo and rice ears, so check your home country’s customs rules for plant products.
Is Tori-no-ichi free to visit?
Yes. Walking around the fair and praying at the shrine is free. You only pay for kumade, charms and food.
Related reading
- Acupuncture near Asakusa: visitor guide
- East Tokyo in one day: Asakusa, Skytree and Kameido itinerary
- Tokyo in December 2026: illuminations, Christmas markets and year-end fairs east of the Sumida
- Autumn leaves in east Tokyo: quiet koyo spots near Kinshicho and Kameido
- How to get to Fuji Wellness from Kinshicho, Kameido and Shinkoiwa
Reviewed by Sunny Pham Sensei, Japan National Acupuncture License (鍼師 / 灸師). Travel information is approximate and may change; please check official sources before your visit. Health content on this site is educational and not medical advice.