酉の市 – Tori no Ichi

The “tori” or rooster is one of the 12 signs of the oriental zodiac.  Each November you can purchase a special rake at fairs (called 酉の市 or “Tori no Ichi”) that are held at several shrines in Japan.  People believe that these special rakes gather luck for business.  The rakes vary in size from just a few-inches to 10-feet long.  People say that if you want to expand your business, you should buy a bigger rake every year.