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This traditional autumn festival has roots dating back to the beginning of the Edo period and is held on the the 19 and 20 October annually. The statue of Ebisu was said to be a gift from Tokugawa Ieyasu and a festival was held in his honour on the 20th. The day before was originally just a market that sold fish and vegetables, but bettarazuke (a Japanese pickled radish) sold particularly well and over the course of time the market came to be called “bettara ichi”. The Takarada Ebisu Shrine, squeezed by two car parks, is the center of it all, but the stalls continue all along the the eastern side of Nihonbashi-Honcho 3-chome. Today about 500 set up for the two day event. It is best to visit at night as over 1,500 lanterns light the narrow backstreets. And if picked radish doesn’t tempt your taste buds, you’ll be glad to know that there are many other stores selling okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and other familiar festival foods.