Until the mid-Edo era, only men went to the toshi-no-ichi. Samurai and prosperous merchants had their retainers or servants carry baskets and large chests as they streamed into Asakusa in large numbers to buy provisions at the same shop every year. On their way back, they stopped at restaurants to boost their spirits further and show off. Long ago, the toshi-no-ichi was not confined to the compound of Sensoji, but shops were also set up in the southern part of Asakusa in Komagata, Kuramae, Asakusabashi, and in the west, from Tawaramachi to Ueno Yamashita. An old senryu (Japanese satirical poem) depicts the popularity of this market: "Visitors to the market, Emerge from the crowd, Disappear into the crowd."

An old ballad from the Edo era describes the atmosphere of Asakusa at the time: "The Asakusa market sells sacred Shinto straw decorations, ornaments, bitter oranges, sundry goods, wooden utensils, wooden pestles, flint stones, steel for a flint, trivets, kettle stands, grills, and tongs �c Where shall we have some tea and rice? At the Tomoe-ya on Namiki Street or the Mannen-ya or the Seno. Well, I'll go to the Hana-ya. Today, I'm all worn out."

Later in the Edo era, after this market was over, other markets were still held at Kanda Myojin, Fukagawa Hachiman, Shiba-atago Shrine, Yagenbori-fudo and other places, and women and children began going. After the Meiji era, ordinary shops also began to sell goods and provisions for New Year festivities, and this led to the gradual decline of the toshi-no-ichi. The hagoita-ichi (ornamental battledore fair), which began thriving instead in the late Edo era, now receives more attention and continues to draw large crowds.

At Sensoji Temple, the portraits of two gods of good fortune, Daikoku and Ebisu-ten, are presented and an incantation is conducted on both December 17 and 18.

Hagoita-ichi (ornamental battledore fair) [December 17, 18, 19]
Hanetsuki is a kind of Japanese badminton that has been played since the Muromachi period (1338-1573). According to historical documents, men and women of the court were divided into teams and competed in this game to celebrate the beginning of spring. As today, the hagoita (battledore) was decorated with designs of pine trees, bamboo, and plum blossoms or flowers and birds, but in the Edo era, these designs were depicted with raised silk work.

Ukiyoe artists lent their expertise, and the pictures, compositions, and colors grew more sophisticated and vivid. Later, in the late Edo era, battledores became the rage among women in Edo after they began featuring caricatures of popular Kabuki actors in famous roles. Women fans from all over Edo flocked to the hagoita-ichi at Asakusa Kannon to purchase hagoita showing popular actors from plays that had been successful that year. Because the hane or shuttlecock also signifies a wish that newborns will not be plagued by evil spirits and will grow up healthy, it has been a custom since long ago to give a hagoita as a gift upon the birth of a girl.

Giving a hagoita to wish for a healthy child and celebrating spring with a game of hanetsuki are customs that reflect the Japanese people's warmth and sense of beauty. About 50 merchants set up shops to sell hagoita in the compound of Sensoji Temple today.

Bentenyama
According to the plaque on the Bentenyama bell tower, its bell is referred to in a famous poem by Basho: "Ueno or Asakusa, which bell tolls more gaily?" It was one of the two hour bells, the other being the bell at Kaneiji Temple in Ueno, and it also served as both a temple bell with an elegant-sounding ring. When the temple bell was recast in August 1693, Makino-Bezen-no-Kami, a loyal retainer of the fifth Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, donated 200 pieces of gold money for the casting of the bell.

The joya-no-kane (New Year's Eve bell) at Bentenyama is rung by parishioners 108 times, once for each of the passions to which human beings are subject, and when this happens, the compound of Sensoji Temple overflows with visitors. The doors of the Kannon Hall are opened at precisely midnight and good-luck charms and other objects to ward off evil fortune go on sale. The bell rings out the old year and rings in the new. People coming to worship are all smiles and the Nakamise area is crowded with a non-stop stream of visitors to the Kannon Hall who keep coming after daybreak and even three days later.

In his short story, Odoriko (Dancer), Kafu Nagai, a famous Japanese novelist, described the New Year's visit to Asakusa: "The restaurants and drinking places inside and outside the park are crowded all night. After midnight, when it turns two or three in the morning, everywhere, from the alleyways to the park, is packed with people going to worship at a shrine or temple for New Year or at one that is located in a lucky direction, or with people returning with some kind of good-luck charm."

The principal sacred image enshrined at Sensoji Temple is the Seikanzeon Bosatsu. It was discovered in the Sumida River by two brothers, Hinokuma Hamanari and Takenari in 628 and worshipped by the local people. Supported by their faith, Sensoji Temple expanded and grew to be a major temple. From January 1 to 6, a Buddhist ceremony called Shushou-e is held to pray for good luck and happiness in the coming year and to drive out evil spirits. For seven consecutive days, from January 12 to 18, the onza-hiho-darani-kai is held to pray for peace and good harvest.

Hatsumode at Famous Shichi-fukujin (Seven Gods of Good Fortune) in Asakusa
Pilgrimages to the shichi-fukujin (Seven Gods of Good Fortune) made by the common people who believed in their power to bring good luck and happiness are said to have started in each region in the Edo era. In Asakusa, these pilgrimages were also popular until the beginning of World War II. The following temples and shrines are "stations" on the shichi-fukujin pilgrimage.

Votive tablets of horses are offered to visitors until January 7.

Daikoku-ten (Sensoji Temple, 2-3-1 Asakusa)
Ebisu (Asakusa Shrine, 2-3-1 Asakusa)
Bishamonten (Matsuchiyama-shouten, 7-4-1 Asakusa)
Fukuroku (Imado Shrine, 1-5-22 Imado)
Hotei (Hashiba Fudoin, 2-14-19 Hashiba)
Jurojin (Ishihama Shrine, 3-38 Minami Senju)
Jurojin (Otori Shrine, 3-18-7 Senzoku)
Bentenyama (Yoshiwara Shrine, 3-20-2 Senzoku)
Fukuroku (Yasaki Shrine, 2-14-1 Matsugaya)

The custom became popular among the common people after the Edo era, but at Sensoji Temple, the setsubun-kai or bean throwing ceremony that takes place on this day has been held since the Genroku period (1688-1703). Historical documents indicate that it was a famous event throughout Edo in the Kyoho period (1716-1734).
The setsubun-kai at Sensoji Temple is characterized by the unusual practice of cutting 10,000 strips of paper and writing an excerpt from the Hannyashingyo sutra on them. After the Buddhist service accompanying the setsubun-kai, the descendants of the Hinokuma brothers who founded Asakusa Shrine climb up on landings that are built on the east and west pillars of the outer branch of the main hall. Waving large fans with the Chinese calligraphy for the word setsubun, they scatter 3,333 of these strips of paper in the main hall where the crowds try to catch them. On the strips, the character for bun, one of the characters in the word setsubun, is written in a special way, with the character for "person" on top and "power" or "strength" below it. It is said that if the character bun is cut out and given to a pregnant woman to swallow, she will have an easy delivery.

Nowadays, a stage is set up outside on the east corridor of the main hall. Male parishioners volunteer to scatter beans from the stage and this is considered to bring good luck. Twice during the day, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., they make a procession that starts from Dempo-in, and after the Buddhist service is held, the bean-scattering ceremony takes place, but only a few strips of paper are thrown to guard against accidents.

Asakusa Kannon Celebrity Setsubun-kai
This was started by the Asakusa Small Business Federation in 1951 and today it is sponsored by the Asakusa Tourist Federation. Male entertainers and celebrities who have close ties to Asakusa and are associated with the community serve as the lucky bean scatterers. After a time-honored ceremony is held to drive out evil spirits, approximately 100 celebrities scatter beans five times between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. from a stage set up next to Eikodo Hall to the delight of the large and excited crowds.

In the dance, two of the gods, Ebisu and Daikoku, show their real faces, while the other five conceal their faces with masks. All the costumes and props are faithful reproductions of the Shichi-fukujin as they have been depicted since the olden days. Ebisu and Daikoku are the only ones to dance as the others watch from the rear of the stage.

Concept: Koichi Kosaka

Composition: Kineya Katsugoro

Lyrics: Mochizuki Tazaemon

Lyrics: Kanisuke Takeshiba

Choreography: Hanayagi Sukesaburo

Performed at the February Setsubun-kai of Feb 3 at the Main Hall of Sensoji.

Takara-no-mai (Treasure Dance)
A treasure ship called Takarabune has been popular since ancient times as the ship on which the Shichi-fukujin appear. In the Takara-no-mai or "treasure dance" which celebrates the blessings and goodness of the Kannon, the treasure ship is pulled by many young children. This dance began in 1972 and it is performed by the children of Sensoji Kindergarten.
Performance day : May 5(Children's Day)