The annual Tori-no-ichi festival opened on Monday at Ootori Shrine in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, drawing business owners and tourists hoping to secure good fortune for the coming year.
The centuries-old event, held each November on zodiac “rooster days,” features long rows of stalls selling ornate bamboo rakes known as kumade.
Decorated with symbols of luck such as gold coins, red sea bream and figures of next year’s zodiac animal, the horse, the rakes are believed to help owners “rake in” prosperity.
Vendors send buyers off with ceremonial clapping and chanting, a tradition that has endured since the Edo period.
One visitor said he hopes the kumade will bring luck to his family and employees amid rising inflation. The festival continues late into the night in Asakusa.
