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TORI-NO-ICHIHeres a program from our archives.Ambience: Tori-no-ichi ambienceWe've all heard the expression "raking in money", well in Japan they've taken this metaphor literally with the celebration of Tori-no-ichi. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Take a walk in a Japanese market today, and you're likely to run into crowds of merchants, eating, drinking and selling ceremonial bamboo rakes of all sizes. It's part of the festival of Tori-no-ichi, a yearly event devoted to economic good fortune.Ambience: Ipon JimehProfessor Stuart Picken directs the International Christian University's Japan Studies Program in Tokyo. He explains that the (often elaborately decorated) rakes represent the central theme of the celebration."Well, this is one occasion where the symbolism and the language match perfectly -- raking in money is the goal, and the rake is exactly designed to represent the dream of a merchant to be raking in large amounts of money for the next twelve months."Ambience: Ipon JimehWhenever the rake merchant making a sale, he sings out an appeal to a divinity, or kami, to bless the buyer during the coming year. Ambience: Ipon Jimeh"Japan's capacity to be economically energetic is constantly reinforced by these kind of festivals which are concerned the very basic issue of where you get your next bowl of rice. Tori-no-ichi has to do with the relationship between the divine beings, the kami, and the community. And how by looking after the customers, and by looking after the merchants, and by looking after each other, the kami looks after all of them, and the community is able to survive for another year."This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast.