Street Festivals Are Great, Aren’t They?
As someone from the countryside, I prefer small local festivals where almost everyone knows each other, over large-scale events. These quiet festivals have a serene atmosphere, much like a sparklers in contrast to the grand fireworks displays of big festivals. I really enjoy these intimate gatherings.
But don’t street festivals have a summer image? They don’t seem to have much association with winter…
So, I found a winter street festival to introduce to you.
A Brief Introduction to Kita Ward, Tokyo
Kita Ward is located in the northern part of the 23 wards of Tokyo. With a population of around 300,000, it borders Saitama Prefecture to the north, acting as a bedroom community close to the city center. It’s essentially Tokyo’s gateway, which might be why it feels like it’s practically part of Saitama.
This area includes Akabane, a place that people from North Kanto will definitely be aware of when entering Tokyo!
It’s currently a popular area due to its convenient access to the city center, rich cultural heritage, and being a noted cherry blossom viewing spot.
Festival Overview: The Last Tori-no-Ichi of the Year? ‘Oji Shrine Kumade Market’
Location: Oji Shrine precincts, Kita Ward, Tokyo
Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2017, from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM (rain or shine)
Access: A 5-minute walk from JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line ‘Oji Station’
Official Website: Kumade Market at Oji Shrine (Kita Ward Tourism Official Website)
The festival featured here is the ‘Oji Shrine Kumade Market’ held in Kita Ward, Tokyo.
This festival is very small in scale, with fewer than ten stalls, including those selling auspicious rake-shaped charms (kumade).
Despite its small size, the festival has a unique charm and one major attraction. As mentioned earlier, it’s very small, with only about four or five regular stalls around the shrine’s torii gate, and even during the busiest time around 6 PM, there were only a handful of visitors.
However, the stalls selling auspicious rakes were consistently visited by customers, and you could hear the customary chants wishing for business prosperity that are typical of Tori-no-Ichi festivals, reinforcing that it’s indeed a Tori-no-Ichi.
The festival’s biggest feature is that it’s the last Tori-no-Ichi held in Tokyo for the year.
Tori-no-Ichi festivals are usually held on the day of the rooster in November, but this one is held in December. As Tori-no-Ichi is a unique festival to the Kanto region, this makes it the last such festival in the entire country.
Although small in scale, the festival was a charming and wonderful experience.
In recent years, due to the declining birthrate, smaller festivals have been disappearing, and the traditional scenes of small village festivals are fading away. However, this festival still retains that unique street festival atmosphere, making it a very precious event.
Since it’s not far from the city center, it’s worth visiting if you’re tired of large festivals or if you forgot to buy a kumade earlier in the year.
Around the Shrine: “I’ve Bought a Kumade, Should I Go Home? Or…”
Now, let’s briefly talk about the area around Oji Shrine. Frankly, there isn’t much to cover, as it’s a street festival attended mainly by locals rather than a tourist attraction.
The closest exit to the shrine from Oji Station is the ‘Shinsui Park Exit.’
Immediately after exiting here, you’ll find the area in the photo below. Unlike the glittering atmosphere of the central exit, this area has an underground vibe with ramen shops and internet cafes.
The photo below shows ‘Shinsui Park’ right after exiting the ‘Shinsui Park Exit.’ The lantern-like lights spaced evenly along the path are very beautiful. This path, which is about 300 meters long, leads to the shrine precincts.
At the end of this path is the district office.
The photo below is taken from the central exit of Oji Station. It’s on the opposite side of the shrine but has a typical station front with various eateries. If you’re looking for a place to eat, this area is worth exploring.
The area of Oji is also famous for fox-related legends, and on New Year’s Eve, there’s a festival where people dress as foxes and parade around.
I definitely want to see that!
Summary: Observing a Winter Street Festival from an Outsider’s Perspective
The most attractive feature of this festival is that it allows you to experience the quietness of winter and the street festival from an outsider’s perspective.
The sound of the kumade sellers’ voices, the footsteps of the sparse visitors, and the dim lights of the festival create a unique atmosphere.
Oh, and of course, it’s the last chance to buy a kumade officially endorsed by a shrine in Tokyo. So, it’s highly recommended for those who wanted to buy one for their company or office but couldn’t manage it earlier in the year!
