At midnight on a tori no ichi night, a drum sounds at Otori Jinja in Asakusa and the stalls start selling. Somewhere down the row a vendor finishes a sale, the staff clap in rhythm, and the buyer walks off with a bamboo rake covered in gold coins and masks. Nobody checks your passport. You can just show up.
Budget Free to attend. Kumade and stall food cost extra (cash). The Koenji beginner dance program was ¥2,500 in 2026.
Time Tori no ichi: Sat Nov 7 and Thu Nov 19, 2026. Summer festivals: late July to late August 2027.
Best for Residents who want to take part, not just watch from behind a rope
Start Otori Jinja in Asakusa on Nov 7, after dark
Summer is over. The festivals are not.
Most people new to Tokyo think matsuri season ends with the last fireworks in August. It doesn't. Autumn and early winter bring the markets: tori no ichi in November, then the Boro-ichi flea market in Setagaya in December and January. They are smaller than the summer dances, and you will hear more Japanese than English around the stalls.
So this guide does two things. First, the local festivals you can still catch in the next two months. Second, how to get into next summer's dances as a participant, with what we could confirm about dates. Where 2027 dates are not out yet, we say so.
November: tori no ichi
Tori no ichi is held on the days of the rooster in November. In 2026 there are two: Saturday Nov 7 (ichi no tori) and Thursday Nov 19 (ni no tori). People buy decorated kumade rakes to "rake in" luck for business and the year ahead. You do not need to buy anything to enjoy it. Walking the rows of glittering rakes at night is the show.
Otori Jinja, Asakusa (Senzoku)
The shrine that claims the origin of the festival. On each rooster day it opens at midnight with a drum and stays open around the clock (as of Oct 2026). The night before, there is an eve ceremony from 23:15, but you need to book in advance to attend it. From Iriya on the Hibiya Line, take North Exit 3 and walk about 7 minutes; from Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station it is about 8.
Our call: go on Saturday Nov 7 between 19:00 and 21:00 if you want the full crowd and noise. Go late on Thursday Nov 19 if you want room to look.
1 Hanazono Shrine, Shinjuku
The easiest tori no ichi for anyone living on the west side. The shrine sits right behind Golden Gai, a short walk from Shinjuku-sanchome. It runs on the same rooster days with eve markets the night before. The shrine did not have hours we could confirm online, so treat it as an evening event and check the posted signs on the day.
Otori Shrine, Meguro
A smaller, neighborhood version. If the Asakusa crowds sound like too much, this is the one to try first. You get the same rakes and the same clapping in a calmer, local setting.
How to buy a kumade without feeling lost
- Start small. A palm-sized rake is normal for a first purchase. The giant ones are for shop owners.
- Prices are often not displayed. Ask "Ikura desu ka?" and point.
- When the stall claps for you after a sale, stand still and smile. You are the reason they are clapping.
- Bring cash. Many stalls do not take cards.
December and January: Setagaya Boro-ichi
The Boro-ichi is a street market of second-hand goods and food stalls along Boro-ichi-dori in Setagaya 1-chome, right by the old Daikan Yashiki residence. Setagaya City listed the 2025–26 market as Dec 15–16 and Jan 15–16, 9:00–20:00, and those are the dates it keeps every year. Confirm on the city's site before you go. There is no parking and no trash bins, and the city asks visitors not to eat on private land, so carry a bag for your trash and eat at the stalls.
Next summer: dance, don't just watch
If you missed this summer, start planning now. The two festivals below are the easiest ways for a foreign resident to move from the sidewalk into the circle.
Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori
About 10,000 dancers across nine venues around Koenji and Shin-Koenji stations. In 2026 it ran on the last weekend of August. Dates for 2027 had not been announced when we checked.
The way in for beginners is Suginami's same-day program. In 2026 you practiced for about three hours on the Sunday afternoon, then danced on the real course with a guest troupe. It cost ¥2,500, took 50 people by lottery, and applications ran from June 1 to Aug 3. The listing said nationality does not matter. You bring a white T-shirt, white shorts and sneakers or white tabi; they lend you the happi coat and sash. Expect the 2027 version to open around the same time, and set a reminder for late May.
2 Tsukiji Hongwanji Bon Odori
A temple bon odori with a yagura stage in the courtyard and food stalls run by Tsukiji Outer Market shops. Anyone can step into the dance circle at any time; no experience needed. Watch one full round of a song from the edge, then join behind someone who looks confident and copy their hands. The 2027 dates are not out yet.
For more summer options, including neighborhood bon odori, see our guide to Tokyo's local summer festivals.
Yukata: rent, buy or skip?
For November, skip it. Tori no ichi happens at night in the cold, and normal clothes are fine. Yukata are for summer festivals.
For a summer dance, a yukata helps you blend in and feels right, but it is not required. If you plan to dance more than one night, buying a cheap set makes more sense than renting. For a single night, or if you want someone to dress you properly, rent. One rule you will hear from every Japanese friend: the left side of the yukata goes over the right. The other way is for funerals.
Two things to check before you rent: the return time (often early evening, which can clash with night festivals) and whether the shop offers yukata or only kimono in your month.
Festival manners that matter
- Do not touch a mikoshi (portable shrine) or join a carrying team unless someone invites you in.
- Photos from the sidelines are fine. Stepping into a dance line for a selfie is not.
- Take your trash home. Many festival areas have no bins.
- Keep ¥100 coins and small bills. Food stalls are often cash only.
- At a shrine, bow once at the gate and walk on the sides of the path, not the center.
Stay safe
- Tori no ichi lanes get very tight after dark. Keep your bag in front and agree on a meeting spot outside the shrine.
- Summer dances are hot. Drink water between rounds, not only beer.
- Roads around Koenji close for the dance, so pick the station as your meeting point before you split up.
Words that work
- 参加できますか？ (sanka dekimasu ka?) — Can I join?
- 熊手 (kumade) — lucky bamboo rake
- いくらですか？ (ikura desu ka?) — How much is it?
You stop being a visitor at a matsuri the moment someone hands you a fan or claps for your rake. Say yes when it happens.
— John Nanjo
Want to see Koenji before next August? Our Koenji walk is a good warm-up. More festivals on our Events page, and the full resident guide lives at Live in Tokyo.
Sources: Otori Jinja (Asakusa), Otori Jinja access, Let's Enjoy Tokyo: Tori no Ichi 2026, Setagaya City, Suginami City (Koenji Awa Odori 2026), Suginami City (same-day dance program), Time Out Tokyo
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