Asakusa Tori no Ichi

Held since the Edo period, the Asakusa Tori no Ichi (open-air market) is traditionally seen as the first key festival in the run-up to the New Year. It offers people a chance to pray for good health and fortune – and they can further their cause by picking up a decorated bamboo rake (kumade), believed to bring good luck. The market is held on the day of the rooster during November, which usually falls twice in the course of the month – this being the second one for 2012. It runs from midnight to midnight, and note that things get fairly crowded after nightfall, meaning that you may not be able to get in if you turn up late.