Tori no Ichi 2026: Tokyo Dates, Hours & Kumade Guide

Tori no Ichi 2026 falls on Saturday 7 November and Thursday 19 November, the two “days of the rooster” this November. The biggest fair, at Ōtori Shrine in Asakusa, opens with a drum at midnight and runs for 24 hours on each day; Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku adds eve-of-fair nights on 6 and 18 November.

This is our full guide to the 2026 rooster fairs: which shrine to pick, how buying a kumade (a decorated bamboo rake for luck) actually works, the clapping ritual, the food, etiquette and the crowds. Dates and hours come from the shrines themselves (Ōtori Shrine Asakusa, Chōkokuji, Ōkunitama Shrine) and from Shinjuku’s official tourism listing, all checked on 2 November 2026. Where a shrine has not published something, we say so.

When is Tori no Ichi 2026?

The Japanese calendar gives every day one of 12 zodiac animals, so a rooster (tori) day comes round every 12 days. In 2026 that puts the first rooster day (ichi-no-tori) on Saturday 7 November and the second (ni-no-tori) on Thursday 19 November.

There is no third rooster day (san-no-tori) this year: Ōtori Shrine in Asakusa states that the 2026 fair runs “up to the second tori” (Ōtori Shrine, 今年の酉の市). That matters for one bit of folklore. The shrine notes an old saying that years with three rooster days bring more fires, though it admits nobody knows why (Ōtori Shrine trivia page). 2026 is off the hook.

One small trap: the ceremony table on the Asakusa shrine’s page labels 19 November as a Wednesday. The date list on the same page, every other shrine and the calendar agree it is a Thursday. Go on the 19th.

Tori no Ichi 2026 dates and hours by shrine

Shrine	Fair days 2026	Hours	Nearest station
Ōtori Shrine (鷲神社), Asakusa	Sat 7 & Thu 19 Nov	00:00–24:00 (24 hours)	Iriya, Exit 3 · 7 min
Chōkokuji (長國寺), Asakusa	Sat 7 & Thu 19 Nov	Not published	Iriya · next door to Ōtori Shrine
Hanazono Shrine (花園神社), Shinjuku	Eve Fri 6 / Wed 18 Nov; main Sat 7 / Thu 19 Nov	Stalls c.15:00–24:00 (eve), c.12:00–24:00 (main)	Shinjuku-sanchome, Exit E2 · next to it
Ōkunitama Shrine (大國魂神社), Fuchu	Sat 7 & Thu 19 Nov	Gates 6:30–22:00; stalls c.9:00–22:00	Keio Fuchu, South Exit · 5 min
Meguro Ōtori Shrine (大鳥神社)	Sat 7 & Thu 19 Nov	Varies by listing; check on the day	Meguro · 8 min
Suga Shrine (須賀神社), Yotsuya	Sat 7 & Thu 19 Nov	Lucky-rake charms 9:00–22:00	Yotsuya-sanchome

Sources: shrine pages linked in each section below; Hanazono from YOKOSO Shinjuku and Let’s Enjoy Tokyo (which says it checked with the shrine office); Meguro and Suga from Rurubu and Let’s Enjoy Tokyo. Times are “about” times: individual stalls open and close as they like.

Which Tori no Ichi 2026 fair should you go to?

Pick by the mood you want. Asakusa is the original and the biggest. Shinjuku is the night-out version, packed with food stalls and after-work crowds. Fuchu is a big local shrine festival with kagura dance. Meguro and Yotsuya are small enough to actually see the rakes.

If you want…	Go to	Why
The classic, the biggest, the midnight drum	Ōtori Shrine, Asakusa	24-hour fair, about 150 kumade stalls, 700,000–800,000 visitors a year
Street food and a night out after dinner	Hanazono Shrine, Shinjuku	About 260 stalls on the grounds and Yasukuni-dōri, open to midnight
Kagura dance and a day trip feel	Ōkunitama Shrine, Fuchu	Edo sato-kagura at 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00
A calm look at kumade	Meguro Ōtori Shrine or Suga Shrine	Small neighbourhood fairs; Meguro drew about 30,000 last year

Asakusa: Ōtori Shrine and Chōkokuji

This is the fair that every other Tori no Ichi copies. Ōtori Shrine (locals call it Otori-sama) opens with the first drum (ichiban daiko) at midnight and stays open until midnight the next night, on both 7 and 19 November (official 2026 notice). Nippon.com puts attendance at 700,000 to 800,000 people a year (nippon.com).

New details for 2026 from the shrine: each kumade shop offers one charity kumade, sold first come, first served from the opening drum, with part of the proceeds going to Taito City for disaster relief. The shrine’s own kagura, Washi-mai (about 15 minutes), replaces the earlier taiko performance.

Two ceremonies are open to visitors who book ahead: the eve rite (宵宮開運福寿祭) at 23:15 on 6 and 18 November, and the special festival rite (鷲祭特別祭儀) at 13:00 on 7 and 19 November. Check in 15 minutes before the start. Personal prayers in the main hall start at ¥5,000, for up to five people from one family or group, first come on the day or booked in advance.

Right next door, Chōkokuji temple (長國寺, 3-19-6 Senzoku) holds its own fair on the same two days and sells kumade and omamori charms (Asakusa Tori no Ichi official site). JNTO describes the Asakusa fair as shared between the temple and the shrine (JNTO). The temple warned on 3 October 2026 that some charm prices rise from the first tori because of material and transport costs.

Getting there: Iriya Station (Hibiya Line), Exit 3, about 7 minutes on foot; Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station, about 8 minutes; Tawaramachi (Ginza Line) or the main Asakusa station (Ginza, Toei Asakusa and Tobu lines), about 15 minutes (shrine access page). Note that the Tsukuba Express Asakusa station is a separate station from the main one. If you are coming from Sensō-ji, our Asakusa guide covers the rest of the area.

Shinjuku: Hanazono Shrine Ōtori Festival

Hanazono runs four nights in 2026: eve festivals (zenyasai) on Friday 6 and Wednesday 18 November, main festivals on Saturday 7 and Thursday 19 November (YOKOSO Shinjuku, Shinjuku’s tourism site). Stalls run from about 15:00 to midnight on eve nights and from about noon to midnight on main days, with about 260 stalls in total (Let’s Enjoy Tokyo). The donated lanterns beside the main hall are due to go off at 23:00, subject to change.

YOKOSO Shinjuku puts attendance at about 600,000 a year and says crowds build from the evening and peak at night. Hanazono is also known for its misemono-goya, a Shōwa-style sideshow tent; we could not find confirmation that it runs in 2026, so treat it as a bonus if you see it.

Getting there: Shinjuku-sanchome Station (Marunouchi, Fukutoshin and Toei Shinjuku lines), Exit E2, is right by the shrine; JR Shinjuku East Exit is about 7 minutes away (MATCHA). Make a night of it with our Shinjuku guide: Golden Gai is a short walk away.

Fuchu: Ōkunitama Shrine

Ōkunitama holds its fair at the Ōtori (大鷲) shrine inside its grounds on 7 and 19 November (shrine notice, 15 October 2026). On fair days the gates open 6:30–22:00; kumade and food stalls run from about 9:00 to 22:00. The shrine’s kumade talismans and Ōtori shrine ofuda are handed out at the entrance on fair days only, while stocks last.

What sets Fuchu apart is the programme. Edo sato-kagura, a masked shrine dance, is performed at 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00. Signal fireworks (three bangs each time) go off at 8:00, 12:00 and 18:00: noise, not a show.

Getting there: Keio Line Fuchu Station, South Exit, or JR Fuchu-Honmachi, both about 5 minutes on foot (shrine access page). Note that on normal days the shrine now closes at 17:00, so the late gates are a fair-day exception.

Smaller fairs: Meguro Ōtori Shrine and Yotsuya Suga Shrine

Meguro Ōtori Shrine has held a rooster fair since the Edo period and runs it on 7 and 19 November; admission is free and the shrine hands out lucky kumade charms (Rurubu). Listings disagree on the hours, so turn up in daylight or early evening and you are safe. It is about 8 minutes from Meguro Station.

Suga Shrine in Yotsuya, the one with the stone stairs made famous by the film Your Name, also marks both days. Let’s Enjoy Tokyo lists lucky-rake charms from 9:00 to 22:00, a small kumade with a broom for ¥1,000 and a kakkome charm for ¥800 (Let’s Enjoy Tokyo).

How to buy a kumade at Tori no Ichi 2026

A kumade is a bamboo rake loaded with lucky symbols: the smiling Okame face, beckoning cats, cranes and turtles, rice bales, gold coins, sea bream and pine. The idea is simple. You rake in good fortune for the coming year, and businesses hang theirs over the till.

At Asakusa, the shrine says prices start at about ¥1,000 for a small one and run to several hundred thousand yen; the best sellers are ¥20,000–50,000 (Ōtori Shrine). Two rakes of the same size can cost very different amounts, because you pay for the decorations.

• Get the shrine charm first. At Asakusa most people pray and receive the kakkome, the shrine’s own small rake charm sold only at fair time, before shopping.
• Walk a full lap before buying. The shrine itself suggests circling the grounds to compare designs, then fixing a design and a budget.
• Ask the price. Point at the one you like and ask: Ikura desu ka? (How much is it?)
• Haggle, the Edo way. Bargaining is part of the theatre. The stylish move is to leave the amount you knocked off as goshūgi, a tip, so you end up paying the first price.
• Clap on the deal. When the sale closes, the sellers lead a rhythmic hand-clap (tejime) for your household or business.
• Bring cash. No shrine publishes a payment policy for the stalls, so do not count on cards.

What is the clapping ritual?

The clapping is called tejime. Once buyer and seller agree, the stall staff shout and lead a three-part clap (sanbon-jime), and you join in. Nippon.com describes it as the moment the deal is sealed (nippon.com). You will hear it every few seconds across the grounds, and it is the soundtrack of the night.

Do you have to haggle? No. As a visitor, asking the price and paying it is perfectly polite, and smaller stalls may not play the game at all. If you do haggle, do it with a smile and leave the difference as a tip.

Small first, bigger every year

Tradition says start with a small kumade and buy a slightly bigger one each year as your business or household grows. For a first-timer flying home, a palm-sized rake is the sensible buy: it fits in a carry-on and the clapping is the same.

What to eat at Tori no Ichi

Rooster fairs are proper matsuri, with rows of festival food stalls alongside the kumade sellers. Hanazono has about 260 stalls in all; in Asakusa, JNTO notes the food stalls line the streets behind Chōkokuji. Two old Tori no Ichi treats are worth hunting down at Asakusa.

• Kirizanshō (切山椒): a chewy rice-flour sweet flavoured with sanshō pepper, cut into strips. Sanshō is lucky because every part of the plant is useful. Inside the grounds only one shop sells it: the first stall on the right after the torii gate (Ōtori Shrine).
• Yatsugashira (八つ頭): a big taro root with many buds, a charm for getting ahead in life and for children. Only one shop in the grounds sells it, the second on the right after the torii (Imokan).

The shrine also mentions kogane-mochi, golden millet cakes once sold for wealth, but says no shop makes them any more.

Tori no Ichi etiquette: the short version

• Pray before you shop. The queue for the main hall at Asakusa can be long; join it, do two bows, two claps, one bow, then go shopping.
• Ask before photographing a stall. Kumade sellers are working, and their rakes are their stock. A nod and a gesture at your camera goes a long way.
• Carry big rakes high. Some people hold the kumade up on the way home for rising fortune. It also keeps it from hitting people in packed lanes.
• Do not eat while walking in the queue. Eat at the stall or step aside; the grounds are tight.
• Take your rubbish with you. Bins are scarce at Japanese festivals.

Tori no Ichi 2026 crowds: when to go

The first day, 7 November, is a Saturday, so expect it to be the busier of the two at every shrine. Thursday 19 November is a working day, which means calmer daytime and heavy after-work crowds.

• For the atmosphere: Asakusa at midnight on 6–7 November or 18–19 November, when the first drum opens the fair. You will probably miss the last train home, so book a room nearby or plan a taxi.
• For space to look: weekday mornings and early afternoon. YOKOSO Shinjuku also recommends going early at Hanazono if you want to buy a kumade in peace.
• For food and buzz: Hanazono after 18:00. It is loud, packed and great fun.
• For kagura: Fuchu at 17:00 or 19:00.

Both rooster days fall in a busy week of autumn events. See our Tokyo events in November 2026 round-up and what’s on in Tokyo this weekend to plan the rest of your trip.

Taking your kumade home: how to display and return it

Ōtori Shrine gives clear house rules (how to enshrine kumade and charms). Place your kumade high up, ideally on or near a kamidana (home shrine shelf) facing south or east, and avoid facing it north. New charms usually go up on 28 December; if you are swapping an old kumade for a new one, you can hang the new one straight away.

After a year, return the old kumade to the shrine or temple where you bought it, with a small fee for ritual burning (otakiage). If you are taking yours abroad, hang it high by your front door or desk and you are following the spirit of the rule.

Why Tori no Ichi exists: a two-minute history

Ōtori Shrine traces the fair to the Edo period. Legend says the warrior-prince Yamato Takeru prayed at the shrine before a campaign and returned to give thanks on a rooster day in November, which became the shrine’s festival day (nippon.com). The rite was first called tori no matsuri; as stalls multiplied it became tori no ichi, the rooster market.

The shrine’s English page adds the colour: the fair was the one day a year the gates of the nearby Yoshiwara pleasure quarter opened to the public, and small traders and farmers used their market takings to settle the year’s debts (Ōtori Shrine, English page). The haiku poet Takarai Kikaku, a pupil of Bashō, wrote that waiting for spring begins with Tori no Ichi. It still does: for Tokyo shopkeepers, this is the first sign of the year-end season. For the wider festival year, see our Japanese festival calendar.

Tori no Ichi 2026 FAQ

Sources and how we checked

All dates, hours and prices were checked on 2 November 2026 against Ōtori Shrine Asakusa (2026 notice, access, trivia and enshrining pages), the Asakusa Tori no Ichi site of Chōkokuji, Ōkunitama Shrine’s 2026 notice, Shinjuku’s official tourism site YOKOSO Shinjuku and Let’s Enjoy Tokyo for Hanazono (the shrine’s own site could not be reached), and Rurubu and Let’s Enjoy Tokyo for Meguro and Suga Shrine. Background comes from nippon.com and JNTO. Stall hours are approximate and set by each vendor.