Do you know famous winter culture of Japan?
There are many festival of traditional annual culture of winter in Japan but most famous is Tori-no-ichi.
I went Asakusa Tori-no-ichi at Otori shrine in Tokyo.
So I will introduce about this Tori-no-ichi of Otori shrine.
This is Japan's largest Tori-no-ichi, is one of the three major Tori-no-ichi markets in the Kanto region. It started about 400 years ago as a harvest festival.
Why we saying Tori-no-ichi?
Tori-no-ichi is said to have originated from Yamato Takeru's(who person of ancient Japanese royal family) rake to celebrate the victory of the Tooi conquest with hanging the rake on the tree. Since that day was Rooster Day (a counting method that applies the zodiac to the date as in the year), Rooster Day became a festival day for the shrine and led to the Rooster Market. Tori is bird in Japanese but it means rooster or an eagle.
Therefore, this festival Held at a shrine derived from rooster or an eagle.
It is start from November at part of Japan, and you can see at Shrine.
Tori-no-ichi are many beautiful and auspicious decorated bamboo rake charm ("Kumade" in Japanese) shops lined up and a lively atmosphere.
People buy decorated Kumade with this and pray to succeed in business and grab money.
Why they buy this Kumade? Because people believe this Kumade will grab the luck for the success and money.
Actually, they does not use this Kumade grab the money, just hanging it on the wall or put the high place of room or office.
There are many kind of Kumade. So People buy Kumade at their favorite stores. However, it is common habits to buy a Kumade and then return it to the store where you bought it in Tori-no-ichi the following year and buy a new one.
When the people(company) buy the Kumade, the shops sing dashingly to pray for the company's great succeed in business. In some cases, if the company's sales were good, they will buy Kumade the size of the it may be bigger than last year.
How about you go to the Tori-no-ichi if you come to Tokyo in November?
If you do not buy a Kumade but you can feel Japanese power of traditional culture.
Japan will held many festival in winter to have a good new year.
I hope this article will be help your plan of Japan travel.
Hope to see you soon in Japan.
Keep smile!
