3 Japanese Festivals in Tokyo to Check Out in November 2018
Are you hoping to go to a festival while you're in Japan? Here are our top picks of festivals taking place in Tokyo in November 2018. From a festival steeped in history and culture to one where you can gorge on the best ramen that the city has to offer, there is something for everyone!
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Asakusa Tori no Ichi 2018
Tori no Ichi is a festival that takes place at various temples and shrines across the country to pray for good fortune in the coming year. The Chinese Zodiac applies to days as well as years, and Tori no Ichi is held on the rooster days of November, of which there are three this year.
At Tori no Ichi, you will find many vendors selling good luck charms made from rakes decorated with a number of talismans, such as of cranes, tortoises, treasure ships, and bags of rice, depending on the purpose of the charm. They come in various sizes, too, as people usually buy a size bigger than the one they had the previous year, or sometimes smaller if they'd suffered a misfortune during the year, such as funerals and house fires. They are returned after one year, and people buy a new one for the following year.
As with any Japanese festival, there are plenty of food stalls at Asakusa's Tori no Ichi selling all the classic Japanese festival foods, including takoyaki, yakisoba, baby castella, and much more!
If you love Japanese festival food or you're not sure what to try, check out this comprehensive list of delicious food you can find at Japanese festivals!
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival
Native to China and southern Japan, you may not be familiar with gingko trees. You can find 146 gingko trees at Meijijingu Gaien, a park located in the heart of the city, and their leaves turn a stunning yellow in the fall. It is a symbol of autumn for Japanese people, and at Meijijingu Gaien, you can enjoy walking among the autumn colors and taking some breathtaking photographs while treading on a vibrant yellow carpet of fallen leaves. The Jingu Gaien Gingko Festival takes place in this magical scenery.
There are other things to see at the festival besides the seasonal views, including a craft fare that is held in conjunction with the gingko festival every year, as well as various performances.
You're bound to get hungry after walking all around the park admiring the gingko trees! See what takes your fancy at the vast number of festival food stalls selling everything from rice bowl dishes with seafood and karaage (deep-fried chicken) to hot pot, craft beers, and more!
Take a look at the article below for more spots around Tokyo where you can enjoy beautiful autumn foliage.
Tokyo Ramen Show 2018
This might not be what comes to mind when you think about Japanese festivals, but we're sure you'd agree that you can't do much better than a festival of ramen!
With 36 ramen establishments set to take part in this year's festivities, you may have a difficult time choosing which ramen to try! Don't worry if you miss out on something though, as the festival is held over 11 days, so you can go back another day to try even more ramen!
Even if you can't make it to Tokyo for this event, you can still have delicious ramen during your stay. Check out this article for some places to try!
This was just a short selection of Japanese festivals taking place in November of 2018 in Tokyo. There are other events held throughout the country that month, so check out what's going on near you and enjoy the ultimate Japanese experience of attending a festival!
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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