One of the events held in the end of the year is “Battledore Fair”. It is held at Asakusa Temple every year from December 17th to 19th.

The origin of Battledore Fair is a talisman as wishing girls growth. In Edo period, shops selling New Year goods and good-luck articles gathered at Asakusa-ji. This event was called “The Year’s Fair” and gradually shops selling battledore increased, becoming the Battledore Fair today.

This year’s Battledore Fair was on the weekend so Nakamise-dori, the path that leads to Asakusa-ji was filled with people.

As you walk along Nakamise from Raimon, and reach Hozo-mon, you will find stores lining on the left side of Kanon-do.

Many people are looking at the battledores.

Many battledores, both big and small, are all lined with hardly any space. Most of them have a illustration of Kabuki actor, geisha, or signs of zodiac.
Since it was the last day I visited, many of them were already sold out.

There were names of celebrities.

One of the interesting things in Battledore Fair is “kawari hagoita”. It is a battledore with illustration of the people who played an active role in the field of sports or TVs.
This year, there were Ryoma Sakamoto from Taiga Drama and GeGeGe no Kitaro from the morning drama.

Basically the price is not written so bargaining with the battledore artisan is fun too.

Person who bought hagoita receives sanbon-jime, clapping hands in a certain beat to wish good luck.

The battledore that is placed in the middle in each store costs about 1 million yen. Those are dedicated to Yasukuni-jinja.

Not only batthledores, but also shuttlecocks are sold as well.

The annual end of the year even, Asakusa Hogoita Fair. Please take a look of this fair.