Festivals / July / Tokyo

Hōzuki Market at Sensō-ji

ほおずき市（浅草寺）say “hoh-zoo-kee ee-chee”

For two summer days, the grounds of Tokyo's oldest temple fill with stalls of orange lantern plants and tinkling wind chimes.

Tokyo · Map ↗July 9–10, every year★ Easy accessSummerMarketBuddhist temple

A stall under a reed awning hung with bunches of orange hōzuki and potted plants. — A hōzuki stall at Sensō-ji, July 10, 2012. Photo: Ocdp, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source

What it is

The Hōzuki-ichi is a summer market at Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo’s oldest temple. July 10 is one of the temple’s special days, when a visit is said to bring the merit of 46,000 days of prayer. Crowds came for that blessing, and a market grew up around them.

Today, about a hundred stalls sell potted hōzuki, ground-cherry plants with glowing orange husks, often with a glass wind chime hung above. Once used as a medicine, the plant is now simply a beautiful sign of summer.

Key dates

The festival at a glance

Date	What happens
Jul 9–10	Hōzuki market: Stalls selling potted ground-cherry plants fill the temple grounds

First visit?

Which day should you go?

Best for first-timers

Either evening

Come at dusk, when the stalls are lit and the wind chimes ring in the evening breeze.

At the festival

What to look for

Hōzuki

The ground-cherry plant has bright orange papery husks that look like little lanterns.

Wind chimes

Each pot comes with a glass wind chime, a sound of the Japanese summer.

46,000 days

Praying at Sensō-ji on July 10 is said to bring the blessings of 46,000 days of prayer, about a lifetime.

Getting there

Getting there & where to stay

From	How	Time
Tokyo Station	JR to Kanda, then Ginza subway line to Asakusa	about 20 min
Narita Airport	Keisei Access Express to Asakusa	about 1 h
Haneda Airport	Keikyū and Toei Asakusa Line to Asakusa	about 40 min

On the day. The plant stalls fill the Sensō-ji grounds, a few minutes on foot from Asakusa Station.

Crowds. July 10 is the busiest day. Mornings are hot but less crowded.

Where to stay

Our pick

Asakusa

Walk to the temple early and late, when it is calmer. Many hotels and hostels.

Ueno

Two stops away on the Ginza line, with more hotels.

When to book. Booking 1 month ahead is usually enough.

Times are typical fastest routes. Check current timetables before you travel.

Before you go

Practical tips

Buying. Potted plants are hard to take abroad. Buy a wind chime or just enjoy the view.
Combine. Stroll Nakamise shopping street and see Sensō-ji's main hall lit up at night.

Words you’ll hear

Glossary

Matsuri祭り

A Japanese festival, usually held for the kami of a local shrine. The word comes from the idea of serving and entertaining the gods.

Sources

References

Sensō-ji, official website: annual events.
Taitō City tourism information: Hōzuki-ichi.

Last checked 2026-10-12.