Shrine Sale/Antique Show Schedule

Tokyo Area Shrine Sale and Antique Market Schedule Fall/Winter 2013-2014

Most outdoor markets are cancelled in the event of rain. Many of the sales are not held in January.

First Sunday of the Month

• Togo Shrine sale has closed permanently.
• Oedo Antique Market at International Forum http://antique-market.jp/eng/index.shtml See map as there are many subway choices. There is also plenty of parking available.  A very large market, with about 1/3 non-Japanese items in a very convenient and pleasant shady setting. Reopening mid-April, on the 13th and 20th, but no first Sunday markets this spring.
• Tomioka Hachimangu – 5 minute walk from Monzen Nakacho Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tozai Line). Excellent big market on the grounds of an important sumo wrestling shrine.
• Arai Yakushi – A good medium size sale northwest of Shinjuku. 5 minute walk from Arai Yakushi Station on Seibu Shinjuku Line.

Second Sunday of the Month

• Nogi Shrine sale has closed permanently.
• Tomioka Hachimangu – 5 minute walk from Monzen Nakacho Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tozai Line). Excellent big market on the grounds of an important sumo wrestling shrine.

Third Sunday of the Month

• Oedo Antique Market at International Forum http://antique-market.jp/eng/index.shtml . See map as there are many subway choices. There is also plenty of parking available. See above for description. Reopening April 13 and 20, 2014, with no other dates listed for spring.
• Takahata Fudo – 2 minute walk from the South exit of the Takahata Fudo station on the Keio line. A once great, but now still good shrine sale on the grounds of an interesting Buddhist temple in the western suburbs of Tokyo that boasts a 5 story pagoda. Easy train ride from Shinjuku (take the semi-limited or limited express).

Fourth Sunday of the Month

• Tomioka Hachimangu – 5 minute walk from Monzen Nakacho Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tozai Line). Excellent big market on the grounds of an important sumo wrestling shrine. No market December 27th.
• Tama Antique Fair – Small fair held on the grounds of Tachikawa Suwa Shrine. 10 minutes walk from the south exit of JR Tachikawa Station on the Chuo Line.

Fifth Sunday of the Month (if there is one – although often unreliable)

• Tomioka Hachimangu – 5 minute walk from Monzen Nakacho Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tozai Line). Excellent big market on the grounds of an important sumo wrestling shrine.
• Oedo Antique Market at International Forum http://antique-market.jp/eng/index.shtml . See map as there are many subway choices. There is also plenty of parking available. See above for description. No dates for spring 2014.

Every Sunday of the Month

• Yasukuni Shrine– 5 minute walk from Kudanshita Station ( Tozai Line, Hanzomon Line or Toei Shinjuku Line) or 10 minute walk from Ichigaya Station (Namboku Line, Yurakucho Line, Toei Shinjuku Line or JR Sobu Line). Parking lot on site. This market varies from weekend to weekend so it can be good or terrible.
• Hanazono Shrine – 6-7 minute walk from Shinjuku Sanchome station (Toei Shinjuku, Marunouchi lines). An historic market that has really dwindled to very little over the years. Most days I give it the pass, although it is convenient to stop by if you are already traveling to Yasukuni-jinja. No market on festival days and December 27th.

First Saturday of the Month

• Patio Street in Azabu Juban – 3 minute walk from Aazbu Juban station (Toei Oedo, Namboku lines). A small sale with about 10 vendors, but easy and convenient to stop by. Not held in January.
• Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine – Despite a bit of a walk from Asagaya Station on JR Chuo-Sobu Line a large compound, big trees and the grand building of the newly rebuilt and reopened shrine is impressive.

Second Saturday of the Month

• Gokokuji Temple – a hit or miss smaller fair at a lovely temple. Easy drive in central Tokyo or Gokokuji Station on Yurakucho Line.
  

Third Saturday of the Month

• Yamato Promenade Antique Market – More than 200 shops make this busy fair adjacent to the Atsugi base and close to Yokohama very popular. 1 minute from Yamato Station on Odakyu Enoshima Line and Sotetsu Line.

Every Saturday of the Month

• Kotto Dori Weekly Market – From 11am-6pm about halfway along Kotto dori between Roppongi dori and Aoyama dori. A small, highly styled market full of mostly European and American antiques and collectibles.

***Random Schedule for Yoyogi Oedo Antique Market***

• Oedo Antique Market at Yoyogi Park http://antique-market.jp/eng/index.shtml. This has traditionally been a much smaller version of the Sunday International Forum Market with additional arts and crafts. The schedule for the coming months is all over the place and the actual dates fall on different days of the week and are as follows: October 26, November 10, December 1, January 5, February 2, March 21, April 29, May 24, June 28. With the closing of the International Forum Sunday Market, this may actually become a bigger and better venue. The market is not actually in the park, but across the street by the sports stadium. I recommend checking the website before going. A few minute walk from Harajuku Station on JR Yananote Line or Yoyogi Koen Station on Chiyoda Line.
  

Other Events

Heiwajima Antique Fair is a huge antiques fair with hundreds of dealers held 5 times a year In the Ryutsu Center.  Expect high quality merchandise (and sometimes prices to match) as well as lots of Western antiques. Tokyo Ryutsu Center station on the Tokyo Monorail–change trains at JR line Hamamatsucho station. Plenty of paid parking is also available.(http://www.kottouichi.com/)

• September 20-22
• December 13-15

Antique Jamboree at the Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba is the largest antique fair in Japan. It has Japanese and Western antiques along with toys and collectibles. Discount tickets available by advance purchase. Click here for more information: http://home.att.ne.jp/sun/jambokun/antique/e.html

• January 10 early buyers day 10 p.m. to 5 p.m., January 11-12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Hall E. 1000yen (or 3000yen early buyers day). Discount tickets and coupons on the website so well worth clicking and printing. 500 dealers.

The 3rd Ajinomoto Stadium Antique Festa in Chofu

• Tuesday and Wednesday, October 29-30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu. 130 antique dealers of Japanese, Western and kimono antiques. Free admission. Tobitakyu Station on Keio Line from Shinjuku. Plenty of parking available too. 

Saitama

28th of every Month

• Kawagoe, an old castle town 40km north of Tokyo has one of the best shrine sales on the grounds of Narita-san Betsu-in. It  is about 10-15 minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe station on the Seibu Shinjuku line. You can also take other trains to Kawagoe station, which is a further walk. There is parking, but it tends to fill by early in the morning. A very large sale with unusual and high quality dealers. My de-facto favorite!

Saitama Super Arena Antique Fair

• Tuesday and Wednesday, December 3-4, 11a.m. to 5p.m. Saitama Super Arena. 230 Dealers with both Japanese and Western antiques. One minute walk from Saitama Fuku Toshin Station on JR Keihin Tohoku Line. Plenty of parking too. Free Admission.

Yokohama

Yokohama Arena Antiques Fair

• Tuesday and Wednesday, October 2–3, from 11a.m. to 5p.m. 220 dealers of both Japanese and World antiques in the Yokohama Arena. Five minute walk from Shin-Yokohama Station. Parking nearby too. Free admission.

Yokohama Antique World

• Thursday, November 8, 12p.m. to 5p.m., Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 10a.m. to 5p.m. Pacifico Yokohama Hall C. 1000yen admission. 250 dealers with both Japanese and Western antiques. Sakuragicho Station on JR Keihin Tohoku Line/ Minato Mirai Station on Minato Mirai Line from Yokohama. Link here: http://home.att.ne.jp/sigma/y-world/kottouworld/Home.html

The 24th Yokohama Antiques Show

• Dates to be announced for next spring at Yokohama Sangyo Boeki Hal, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.
  3 minutes walk from Nihon Odori Station on Minato Mirai Line from Yokohama.

The 13th Yokohama Konjaku (Past and Present) Kimono Ichi

• Nov. 8-9  11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 10 10a.m.-5 p.m. Aka Renga – Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Selected 40 to 50 antique kimono dealers from throughout Japan selling antique kimono, old kimono cloths, bags, footwears, etc. Sakuragicho Station on JR Negishi Line

Kyoto

1st Sunday of the Month

• Garakuta ichi at Toji – 15 minute walk south of Kyoto Station or take the Kintetsu Railway local train one stop from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. Walk two blocks west. This is a much smaller market than the other two (about 80 dealers), but it is focussed exclusively on antiques. My first choice for serious antiquing.

21st of the Month

• Kobo-ichi at Toji– 15 minute walk south of Kyoto Station or take the Kintetsu Railway local train one stop from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. Walk two blocks west. This is a huge market with over 1000 vendors selling everything from antiques to crafts to vegetables.

25th of the Month

• Tenjin ichi – Another very large market on the grounds of historic Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in the Nishijin area of Kyoto, selling antiques and other merchandise. Take Keifuku Railways train to Kita no Hakubaicho, walk two blocks along Imadegawa Dori or the number 59 bus from Shijo or Sanjo in downtown Kyoto.