Tori-no-ichi Festival in Asakusa: A Tradition of Luck, Culture, and Festivities in Tokyo

Published on November 26, 2025

Asakusa celebrates the Tori-no-ichi Festival at the Ootori Shrine for the first time this year. Every November for the past couple of years, this event has since become a major event in Tokyo to transact to get “fortune-bringing” rakes. These rakes are hoped to bring in prosperity, and many tourists and business owners come in to partake in the cultural event.

The Tori-no-ichi Festival has been celebrated in Japan since over the Edo Period (17th-19th centuries). It celebrates the specific “rooster” days of the zodiac and lunar calendar. Thousands of people will likely all come to this year’s celebration at Ootori Shrine and partake in Japan’s rich history and traditions during Tokyo’s festive period.

Cultural Importance of the Tori-no-ichi Festival

The Tori-no-ichi Festival is an ancient event in the Japanese Cultural Calendar, dedicated to the deity Ootori-sama, who is said to protect and give wealth to those who partake in the event. The main focus of the festival is the purchase of kumade, large, decorative rakes adorned with pine trees, bamboo, and plum-fruit, representing prosperity. Once bought, the rakes are hung at the entrance of the household or business to symbolize the hopes for prosperity, good luck, and success in any business endeavors.

The event, which historically attracted business owners who sought blessings for the forthcoming year, is now popular with tourists looking to engage with Japanese cultural traditions. The festive atmosphere created by the colorful market, which is filled with food vendors, decorative rakes, and traditional crafts, attracts tourists interested in traditional Japanese culture. This festive market welcomes many visitors to Asakusa year-round.

Asakusa ,senso ji

Asakusa boasts some of Tokyo’s most well-known historical sites and attractions, such as the Senso-ji Temple, which is the most visited and well loved Temple in all of Tokyo and visited by almost all of the tourists in Tokyo, in which during the Tori-no-ichi festival, Asakusa is extremely vibrant, and is very popular and loved by both residents and tourists for all the festive activities

During the festival, tourists and residents both can immerse themselves in the warm and festive mood, and Tori-no-ichi festival especially gives the visitors a chance to experience Japan’s traditional customs and culture. Asakusa also has wooden houses, old styled shops and buildings, as well as the the well known for food and shopping Nakamise Shopping Street, that permits tourists exotic Japanese food and a lot of varied and traditional souvenirs.

The Importance of Lucky Rakes in Japanese Culture

Lucky rakes, or kumade, are the most iconic symbol of the Tori-no-ichi or the Rake Festival, which is celebrated in November every year. Kumade are believed to bring success and prosperity due to the intricately decorated good luck symbols, such as carp, coins, and luck deities. In the past, farmers and business owners bought the kumade in hopes of receiving a prosperous and successful year. Nowadays, many of the tourists that attend the festival buy the kumade to celebrate the festival and hopefully gain good luck in their lives.

Throughout the festival, many of the vendors sell rakes that vary in size and decor, as it is known that the larger the kumade, the more prosperity it brings. In Japan, it is known that success and good luck can be brought into one’s life through the practices of ceremony and tradition. Many people in the Japane culture seek to do this through purchasing and hanging a kumade on their walls in hopes of success in their life. For many festival tourists, buying a kumade is a way to gain a cultural connection to Japan through their wonderful and beautiful cultural practices, as well as a meaningful and unique piece of art.

Economically Impact of the Tori-no-ichi Festival

Tori-no-ichi Festival greatly impacts the economy of Asakusa, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector. It helps local establishments, ranging from souvenir and food vendors to restaurants, experience an increase in sales due to the sudden rise in visitors, including foreigners, from all over the world. Visitors to the Tori-no-ichi Festival bring in hundreds and even thousands of foreign dollars and spend them in the local economy. The influx of tourists to Asakusa results in an increase in foot traffic to the local establishments, which, in turn, benefits the local economy.

The hospitality, transport, and accommodation sectors all benefit from the tourism festivities. As transport, accommodation, and hospitality providers prepare for the influx of tourists, demand for hospitality providers, local transport guides, and accommodation in Asakusa and the rest of Tokyo increases. Other tourists visiting the Tori-no-ichi Festival, including the closely located Tokyo Skytree, Akhibara, and Ueno Park, further increase the demand for accommodation, restaurants, and food vendors, as well as transport guides, creating better infrastructure for the local economy.

How to Experience the Tori-no-ichi Festival

The Tori-no-ichi Festival operates for about a week during November. The primary events occur on what are called ‘rooster days,’ which designate certain days in the lunar calendar. Tourists should consider arriving earlier in the day to try and beat the long lines and heavy foot traffic that comes with the more popular days. Getting to Asakusa is a straightforward process: head to the Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Afterwards, the Ootori shrine and the Nakamise-dori shopping street are not more than a handful of minutes on foot.

While participating in the festival’s activities, visitors can partake in the food and dining options that Japan has to offer. Depending on your tastes, some of the more common street foods may include: tempura, taiyaki, and agemanju which is fried bean paste. All of these combined with the primary festival activities equals a terrific and enriching Japanese experience.

Conclusion

The Tori-no-ichi festival in Asakusa is an integral facet in the cultural tapestry of the entire Tokyo as it attracts enormous scholar-travellers who seek in Japan the annual vibrant traditions. Due to Asakusa’s most iconic location, the festival allows festival-goers to experience and engage themselves in the cultural legacy based on pilgrimage, good luck, and prosperity. One of the festival’s most iconic traditions is the purchase of kumades. For visitors in November, the Tori-no-ichi festival is a magnificent event to experience in Tokyo.