Do Your New Year’s Shopping in Japan: Treasure Hunt at the Edo Shunen-Ichi Market

As the countdown to New Year's Eve approaches, lively New Year events will be held around the world. In addition to celebrations, preparing abundant New Year goods is also an essential and important tradition. The charmingly Edo-style Asakusa-bashi area is a very famous tourist spot, where markets regularly formed by nearby shops selling daily necessities are held. The last market of the year is called the “Shunen-Ichi” (Year-End Market). This year, this bustling gathering will take place from December 17th to 19th. If you have the chance, come here and soak up the lively atmosphere.

Senso-ji Temple, a faith center during the Edo period, is crowded with people at New Year who come to pray for peace in the coming year. It is said that up to 2.2 million visitors come in just the three days before New Year’s Day, filling the air with a warm and festive Japanese New Year spirit. Legend has it that over a thousand years ago, a fisherman pulled a golden statue of the Bodhisattva Guanyin from the river. Local residents believed it was a divine apparition and built the temple to enshrine it — this became the precursor to Senso-ji Temple.

Among the “Shunen-Ichi” (Year-End Markets) of the Edo period, the one in Asakusa has the longest history. Numerous bustling shops can be found near the famous Kaminarimon Gate. During the Shunen-Ichi, people come here to buy various celebratory decorations and gifts, such as hagoita (battledores), fortune cats, kagami mochi (stacked rice cakes), and kadomatsu (pine and bamboo decorations). The joyful and heartwarming New Year atmosphere here feels different from that of China’s New Year celebrations — it has more of a lively, gorgeous, and solemn touch.

Many related customs include displaying auspicious items such as “kadomatsu” and “kagami mochi” between December 13th and 28th. Since Japanese Shinto beliefs hold that deities reside in plants, setting up kadomatsu at the entrance serves as a medium to attract the deity of the gate. Kagami mochi, consisting of two rice cakes of different sizes, small oranges, and dried persimmons, symbolize the three sacred treasures of Shinto: the mirror, the jewel, and the sword. These offerings are presented to the deities to pray for peace. Different aspects of the Japanese New Year bring extraordinary festive energy, and the surprises found while treasure hunting at the markets add even more Japanese cultural charm.

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