オフィシャル
Get ready for enjoyable "Bettara-ichi"
on October 19th and 20th!
"Bettara-zuke" is one of the pickled radishes made with malted rice and is a specialty product in Tokyo. While "Takuan", another type of radish pickle, is made by drying the radish before pickling, "Bettara-zuke" is made by pickling the radish without drying it. While most pickles are salty, Bettara-zuke has a slightly sweet taste.
"Bettara-ichi” is a festival held every year on October 19th and 20th around Takarada Ebisu Shrine in Nihonbashi Ohdenmacho. As the name suggests, many stalls selling Bettara-zuke line the streets. In addition to Bettara-zuke, there are many other stalls lining the streets, totaling about 500 stalls in all. Since the festival takes place in an office district, many office workers set up tables or spread blue plastic sheets in front of their offices after finishing work and enjoy drinking together when the festival falls on a weekday. This joyful atmosphere is conveyed to visitors, making the Bettara-ichi even more enjoyable.
The history of Bettara-ichi dates back to the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868). “Ichi” in Bettara-ichi means a market. Originally, a market was held in front of Takarada Ebisu Shrine on October 19th, the day before the Ebisu-ko (an event in which merchants enshrine Ebisu to bless prosperity and invite relatives and friends for a feast), where offerings were sold. At this market, what was sold as "Asa-zuke" (lightly pickled pickles) was what is now called Bettara-zuke, pickled with candy and malted rice, causing it to stick to clothes. "Beta Beta" is an onomatopoeia for a sticky feeling, so Asa-zuke came to be called "Bettara-zuke". The market where Bettara-zuke became a specialty also came to be called "Bettara-ichi".
If you are interested in Bettara-zuke, visit Bettara-ichi. Even if you are not interested in Bettara-zuke, I recommend visiting Bettara-ichi. It's fun to walk around while seeing many stalls. If you get hungry, you can enjoy eating Okonomiyaki pancakes, Yakisoba, Takoyaki, or other snacks. There are also many stalls offering games like shooting, Yo-Yo fishing and so on. I hope you will discover some Japanese traditional culture, and that it brings you joy.
Place of Bettara-ichi: Nihonbashi-Ohdenmacho and Nihonbashi-Honcho neighborhoods centering on Takarada Ebisu Shrine
Address of Takarada Ebisu Shrine: 3-10-11, Hashimoto-cho, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
Access to Bettara-ichi:
1-minute walk from Kodenmacho Station on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line
2-minute walk from JR Shin-Nihonbashi Station
5-minute walk from Bakuro-Yokoyama Station on Toei Shinjuku Line
7-minute walk from Ningyocho Station on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Toei Asakusa Line