A little before Christmas my friend Jill and I went to this Hagoita festival at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, the part of Tokyo that years ago was the working-class district and has retained the old friendly, marketplace, bustling atmosphere. Hagoita are paddles used in a traditional sort-of badminton game to celebrate the New Year. I bought a tiny Year of the Tiger hagoita for Chris. 
They’re super elaborate and each one is a little different…and fairly expensive! When someone purchased one from any of the little stands selling them, the onlookers would do this synchronized clap with a little chant and cheer for the purchase. 
This is me at the entrance to the shopping street leading up to the temple, and above is the dragon purification fountain outside the actual temple. 
Some stands had modern hagoita featuring harajuku girls or paddles being painted on the spot!
Happy New Year!