When Is Tori no Ichi 2026? | November 7th & 19th — Tokyo’s Rooster-Day Fair of Lucky Bamboo Rakes

In 2026, Tori no Ichi falls on Saturday, November 7th (the “first rooster”) and Thursday, November 19th (the “second rooster”). This year there are two.

On November nights in Tokyo, shrine approaches fill with stalls selling huge bamboo rakes covered in glittering decorations. People drift between them, and every so often a shout and a burst of rhythmic clapping rings out. That is Tori no Ichi — the “Rooster-Day Fair”, one of Tokyo’s best-loved year-end festivals.

Why rakes? What do “first rooster” and “second rooster” mean? Here is a gentle guide for anyone going for the first time.

What this article covers

• When and where Tori no Ichi is held
• How the “first, second and third rooster” days are counted
• Why people buy kumade, decorated bamboo rakes
• The other lucky charms you will see
• How to enjoy your first visit, quietly

A festival on November’s “rooster days”

Tori no Ichi is held on the days of the rooster in November, at shrines and temples connected with Ōtori-sama, the deity of shrines such as Ōtori Jinja (鷲神社 / 大鳥神社). Stalls selling lucky kumade rakes line the grounds, and visitors come to pray for a safe household, good business and good fortune.

Where does the rooster come in? In the traditional calendar, each day is also labelled with one of the twelve zodiac animals — rat, ox, tiger and so on — in a repeating cycle. The rooster (tori) comes round every 12 days.

According to Japan’s National Diet Library, more than 40 shrines and temples in Tokyo still hold the fair today. The best known is Ōtori Shrine in Asakusa (Senzoku, Taitō ward).

First rooster, second rooster… and sometimes a third

The first rooster day of November is ichi no tori (the first rooster), and the one twelve days later is ni no tori (the second). In years when the calendar fits a third one into November, there is also san no tori.

In 2026 the dates are Saturday, November 7th and Thursday, November 19th, with no third rooster. Ōtori Shrine in Asakusa lists both days as running from midnight to midnight — the fair really does go on through the night.

There is an old saying that “a year with a third rooster has many fires.” Encyclopedias record it as a warning to be careful with fire, but it is a piece of folk wisdom, not a fact about fire statistics. Think of it as a seasonal nudge: winter is coming, the air is drying out, and people are lighting more fires.

Why a rake?

A kumade (literally “bear’s paw”) is a farm tool for gathering leaves and grain. At the fair it became a charm for “raking in” good luck and money. Some also see the shape as an eagle’s talons, a symbol of strength — fitting, since the ōtori of Ōtori Shrine means “great bird.”

As for how it all began, there are several accounts:

• The Yamato Takeru story — Ōtori Shrine in Asakusa tells that the legendary hero Yamato Takeru prayed there for victory, and came back to give thanks on a rooster day in November; that day became the shrine’s festival
• A farm-tool market — at the Ōtori shrine in Hanahata, Adachi ward, farm tools including rakes were sold at the festival, which may be how rakes and the fair first came together

In Edo (old Tokyo), the Asakusa fair flourished partly through its ties with nearby pleasure and entertainment districts such as Yoshiwara, so at first the rakes were bought mainly by shopkeepers and people in business. Today plenty of people with no shop at all choose a small one, simply hoping for a good year ahead.

The other lucky charms

The rakes themselves are packed with auspicious symbols: the smiling face of Okame (also called Otafuku), gold coins, treasure ships. The big ones are spectacular, but there are also palm-sized rakes.

Alongside the rakes, you may find:

• Yatsugashira — a kind of taro whose single mother corm sprouts many smaller ones; it is said to carry wishes to rise to the head (kashira) of one’s field and to be blessed with children
• Kogane-mochi (“golden rice cake”) — yellow millet mochi, said to look like gold coins
• Kiri-zanshō — a sweet, chewy confection flavoured with Japanese pepper (sanshō), cut into long strips

When a rake is sold, stall-keepers and customers sometimes perform a lively tejime — a ceremonial round of clapping in time, started with a shout. Those bursts of clapping across the grounds are the true sound of Tori no Ichi.

Enjoying your first Tori no Ichi

You do not need to buy a rake to enjoy the fair. Just walking through is part of it.

• Start with a prayer — the rakes are the famous part, but at heart this is a shrine festival
• Go after dark if you can — the lanterns and glittering rakes are at their best at night. It gets crowded, so move with the flow and take your time
• If you meet a tejime — joining in the clapping is usually welcome. If you are unsure, watching from a little way back is perfectly fine
• Ask before close-up photos — the stalls are shops with goods on display; a quick nod or word to the stall-keeper is polite

November is also the month of Shichi-Go-San, when families celebrate young children’s growth. For more on Japan’s harvest festivals, see our guide to autumn matsuri.

Closing

A tool for raking up fallen leaves somehow became a tool for raking in happiness. There is a gentle play on words at the heart of every kumade.

This year the dates are November 7th and 19th. As the end of the year comes into view, go and listen to the clapping that wishes everyone a good year to come.