Kite Market at Oji Inari Shrine I

Kite market (凧市) held on the Day of the Horse every February. The dates depending on the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, there are either 2 or 3 market days in any given year. The sale of kites is a custom dating back to the Edo period when kites were believe to protect against fires because they cut through the wind. Today, while kites are sold at the shrine office for about ¥1,500, the market stalls themselves serve the usual festival food and drinks.