RIDC

Dynamics of Civilizations volume5
2026-03 発行

From Festivals to the Everyday: The Circulation of Kumade at the Tori no Ichi at Hanazono Shrine

TILLONEN, Mia Department of English Language and Culture, FUJI WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY
Publication Date
2026-03
Abstract
Every year in November, the Tori no Ichi festival draws huge crowds to the grounds of Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The festival is centered around the buying and selling of kumade, or good luck rakes. These bold and colorful objects function as engimono, or good luck charms, purchased for business prosperity or home safety. This study explores the circulation and itinerary of kumade at the Tori no Ichi festival by analyzing the performances surrounding them. While previous scholarship on engimono has focused on their roles in domestic settings or disposal rituals, this research approaches them in situ at the festival. The study shows that these objects bridge the festival and the everyday, connecting people to the event and the sacred site through a dynamic network of social, spatial, and ritual practices. The research draws on fieldwork and in-depth interviews conducted at Hanazono Shrine between 2020 and 2024.
Document Type
特集:Sacred Objects in Religions (Special Issue: Sacred Objects in Religions)
Keywords
urban festival
material religion
sacred object
performance
Tokyo
ISSN
2436-8326
JaLC DOI
DOI: