Kameido Tenjin Shrine

The Kameido Tenjin Shrine isn’t just popular for its annual chrysanthemum festival – the grounds have hosted a unique Shinto ritual since 1820 called Usokae Jinji, or the Usokae Bullfinch exchange. Bullfinches are called uso and are homonymous with the word for 'lie' in Japanese. By exchanging wooden bullfinch figurines every year, it is believed you can transform the bad luck of last year into a lie and bring good luck for the new year. The shrine provides figurines in the shape of that little bird on January 24 and 25. If you’re an annual visitor, simply exchange your old figurine from the previous year for a new one. Otherwise, get started by picking one from the large collection – the birds come in different sizes, with prices ranging between ¥500 and ¥7,000. All wooden figurines are handmade by the shrine’s priests – luck, success and happiness sorted.

Kameido's charming Tenjin Shrine hosts this annual early spring festival in celebration of the bloom of more than 250 plum trees – 50 koubai red blossoms and 150 hakubai white plum trees – on the premises. The goken-no-ume tree is particularly special as it has both red and white plums blooming on one tree. The flowers usually reach full bloom between the middle of February and early March, while a variety of events will take place throughout the festival period – mainly on the weekends.