Usokae event at Kameido Tenjin Shrine

On January 24 and 25 each year, usokae shrine event is held at Kemeido Tenjin Shrine.  People come to the shrine to swap last-year's misfortune for new-year's good luck.

They put an old uso-dori back to the shrine and buy new one .

Uso dori

Uso-dori is a wood-carved bird that originated from a real bird uso, a bull finch, because it chirps like whistle-blowing. People in old days called its chirp uso.  Uso in Japanese also means lie, invention, untruth or joke. People wanted to think last-year's misfortune as uso (untruth) and wished to put a hope of good luck on a new uso-dori. 

Usokae event originated in early 19th century. At first people carved their own uso-dori, came to the shrine and swapped them with other people in front of the shrine's alter. 

Soon people chanted 'let's swap our uso' and exchanged uso-dori in each other's sleeves. Later they began to exchange them with no chants. But there are always some bad guys who make most use of this chance for pick-pocketing. People at that time kept their valuables in kimonosleeves.

So swapping in the sleeves was banned. Instead, people began to put the old uso-dori back to the shrine and buy new one as we do it today.  

Kameido Tenjin Shrine

I went to the Kameido Tenjin Shrine on January 25 and bought an uso-dori and prayed in front of the shrine alter.

What did I pray for? 
It's my secret.

by H.N.

We plan to have a tour to enjoy Japanese plum at Kameido tenjin shrine.
Please take a look at this site to join the tour with us !

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