prosperity festival on an auspicious rooster day : November 5 2024

9 days ago · 8 min read · Taito

the night was still young when this nightwalker started walking in tokyo yet again. the destination was southeast towards the temple and shrine areas of the town. and surprise surprise, there was a festival!

酉の市 (Tori no Ichi)

as i read on google, this festival actually dates back in the edo period on key areas of japan. this festival is held in november on the tori (rooster) days based on the chinese zodiac and can have 3 days spaced 12 days apart. this year, is one of those special years where it will be celebrated on the 5th, 17th, and 29th. it is celebrated for good luck and business prosperity.

i had an inkling of a festival to occur on this day around this area; @wittyzell shared an instagram post about it. but i had no clue where in asakusa that would be, so i was just surprised to pass by it so soon. it was midway to my target night walking destination for today.

Chōkokuji Temple (長國寺)

i have been passed by this temple and shrine combination for a couple of times, you can read some of them below. at one time they had a hydrangea festival in the exact same road i passed by tonight.

towers of flowers: June 14 2024
i have become a night walker: June 13 2024

seriously, this is the first time i saw the place this well lit.

those lanterns were there for a purpose, and like an insect to a flame, i took the bait. i went in and was bombarded with the festivities up my face. i had no clue on how big of a matsuri this really is until i went in that gate.

these beautifully decorated "rakes" were displayed up to the stalls' ceilings; i had no clue how much they might have cost but by the looks of it, those big lavish ones must have took a long time to complete. and i think these were hand made! there is just no other way to create this beautiful creations.

it took me quite some time before i passed by those initial stalls to reach the main temple building. that was how many people there were in this narrow walkway. those familiar red lanterns look extra attractive tonight. i thought that was it, not until i turned right.

and there i saw more people and more stalls. i forgot how this place looked like before today. i never realized that there was so much space for all these stalls and all these people. apparently, this festival started from the first second the day turned to the 5th of november and runs for a full 24 hours.

i have witnessed people clapping, as if chanting for good luck, after buying these "rakes". and they can get loud with those claps. even ordinary passersby join in on the clapping. i had no idea what they were for at first until i read about them in some article, the buying process goes as follows:

It all starts with negotiation, or haggling. Say if you want to buy a 50,000 yen rake, you ask the shop owner to make it 40,000 yen. Then a light-hearted and amusing conversation will take place, going back and forth with the shop owner like so:

“No way! That’s a steal, how about 48,000 yen?”
“Hmmm, still too expensive. How about 42,000 yen?”
“Sorry, 47,000 yen is all we can do.”
“How about 45,000 yen, final offer!”
“Ok, Ok! 45,000 yen it is.”

Now that you’ve haggled the price down, the tradition states that you hand the staff the original amount, 50,000 yen in this example, and as the staff gives you your change, you refuse and give the change back to them saying “This is a gift for you.”

If you followed the steps above, you will be treated to a unique display of thanks that you’ll be hearing all night long. As a sign of appreciation, the entire shop’s staff will clap their hands rhythmically to show their appreciation and to bless you with good health, luck, and business.
^source

Ōtori Shrine (鷲神社)

now look at that great display of lanterns. there at the back in the middle of that space is the main altar of this shrine. this shrine and the previous temple are so close together that it seemed to be one whole complex. in all honesty, the festival is actually centered on otori shrine and overflowed to the nearby temple just because of the very close proximity. this is very much rooted on shintoism and is also celebrated in three other major shrines in tokyo, two others in shinjuku and in fuchu.

celebrated yearly, this festival is also a reminder that a new year is approaching. i had the hardest and slowest time proceeding in these area, it is impossible not to but unto someone. good thing that food and beverage is not allowed inside the shrine and temple grounds. all of those are outside as you can see later.

by this time you are probably wondering why "rakes". and are these really rakes? symbolically, kumade or rakes were sold to rake in the money and prosperity for the whole year. and yes, behind those lavish decorations is a bamboo rake. large ones of course has a large rake behind it.

the decorations depends on the stall and contains all sorts of items for good luck. i could spot daruma dolls, kitten paws, faces of the god of fortune on some of these rakes which also serves as a mini alter. it was also believed that this was initially a harvest festival, probably to celebrate the last harvest before winter comes.

there were just so many people inside and claps can be heard everywhere. smiles can be seen in each faces, and of course, travelers like me can also be seen in the crowd. this festivals also rake in lots of foreigners who love to experience all that japan has to offer.

i finally exited at the main entrance of the otori shrine. the outside were also as lavishly designed with lanterns and sake barrels.

the shrine itself also sells amulets and rakes. there were shrine staff inside all dressed in white. and since this is an annual festival, they have a place to properly dispose amulets and rakes you bought the previous years. that is how effective shrines can be.

food

which leads me to food. if the shrine grounds were filled to the brim, the food sections were near impossible to pass through.

japanese festival favorites are sold in all of the streets around the shrine. and navigating these streets can be dangerous, dangerous to your clothes and pocket and stomach, that is.

it is nearly impossible not to bump on someone bringing food. it is impossible not to smell the aroma of all the food sold as you walk from stall to stall. food stalls in japanese is called yatai. and since you are walking slowly, those aromas will linger in your noses more until you eventually hear your stomach growl.

i told myself that i will buy some food on my return trip. so i passed by safely. matsuri favorites were all sold, and there must have been at least a hundred food stalls cramped in narrow streets.

but even with all that commotion, your safety is still protected. policemen were deployed and a temporary jail was there for the misfits. that blue bus with a policeman was a temporary jail. japan is japan.

on my way back, the food shops were closing. i haven't bought anything at all. i had no idea that food stalls close early, and it was still 9 pm. that 9 pm seemed like a universal japan time for closing food shops as witnessed in other festivals as well. but the rake and amulet shops were still open probably until the midnight. i happened to be behind these company employees who must have came directly after work; they each secured sizable rakes for their families.

i was just there happy to witness all of these festivities. it was refreshing to see such a huge crowd wearing huge smiles. it was exciting to watch how centuries old festivals are still very much celebrated up to these days. japan has surely protected and preserved their traditions well!

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!

ps. i was trying to upload a video for this entry but of all days, there seems to be something wrong with 3speak recently. i guess the video will come later.