Festivals in Tokyo

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Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa. AsakusaFestival.jpg
Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa.

Tokyo holds many festivals (matsuri) throughout the year. Major Shinto shrine festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine. The Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo is held every two years in May. The festival features a parade with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people.

More secular and seasonal festivals include cherry blossom, or sakura, viewing parties in the spring where thousands gather in parks such as Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for picnics under the cherry trees. In the summer annual firework and dance festivals such as the Sumida River fireworks festival on the last Saturday of July, and the Kōenji Awa Odori dance festival on the last weekend in August attract millions of viewers.

Festival nameLocationDescriptionTime
Hachiōji Matsuri Hachiōji Features many Matsuri Floats Early August
Torigoe Matsuri Asakusa (Torikoe Shrine)It features the largest mikoshi of Tokyo.June
Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri [1] Bunkyō (Nezu Shrine) Azalea festivalApril to May
Fuji Matsuri Kōtō (Kameido Tenjin Shrine) Wisteria festivalApril to May
Hinode Matsuri [2] Ōme (Mitake Shrine)Sunrise festivalMay 8
Kachiya Festival [3] Kōtō (Katori Shrine)This festival commemorates Fujiwara Hidesato's prayer for victory before suppressing Taira no Masakado's revolt. The festival dates to Hidesato's offering of his bow and arrow to the shrine after his victory in battle. During the modern festival, there is a dedication of a kachiya (victory arrow) and a traditional warrior parade.May 5
Kanda Matsuri [4] Chiyoda (Kanda Myojin Shrine)Kanda Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three major festivals that dates back to the Edo period. The festival's climax occurs when volunteer Kandakko carry 200 portable shrines in a vigorous parade toward the Kanda Myojin Shrine.May (Saturday and Sunday closest to the 15th)
Tenno Matsuri [5] Shinagawa (Shinagawa Shrine and Ebara Jinja Shrine)Includes Kappa Matsuri ritual.Early June
Kifune Matsuri Ōta (Kifune Shrine)Spring (between March and May)
Kurayami Matsuri Fuchu (Okunitama Shrine)Black night festivalSpring (between end of April and first week in May)
Meiji Shrine Spring Festival Shibuya (Meiji Shrine)Spring (between March and May)
Osunafumi Taisai Setagaya (Tamagawa Daishi Temple)Walking-on-sand ritualSpring (between March and May)
Sanja Matsuri Taitō (Asakusa Shrine)A festival honoring the three men that found a statue of Kannon which led to the founding of Sensō-ji in the Asakusa district. Its notable for its extravagant parade of mikoshi, musicians and dancers.Third weekend in May
Shishi Matsuri Toshima (Nagasaki Shrine) Lion dance festivalSpring (between March and May)
Takigi Noh Minato (Zōjō-ji)Open-air torchlight Noh performanceSpring (between March and May)
Yayoi Matsuri Taitō (near Sensō-ji)ceremony by the Edo Shobo Kinen-kai (Edo Civilian Fire Fighters' Association)Spring (between March and May)
Sanno Matsuri Chiyoda (Hie Shrine)June
Asakusa Samba MatsuriSummer (between June and August)
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival Sumida River Summer (last Saturday in July)
Tokyo Bay FireworksTokyo BaySummer (August)
Jingu FireworksSummer (August)
Fukagawa Matsuri Kōtō (Tomioka Hachiman Shrine)It is one of the three major Shinto festivals in Tokyo.Summer (between June and August)
Kōenji Awa Odori Kōenji Suginami Largest Awa Dance Festival outside Tokushima Prefecture, with an average of 188 groups composed of 12,000 dancers.Summer (last weekend of August)
Harajuku Omotesandō Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi Harajuku, Omotesandō, Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine Yosakoi dance festival, with an average of 100 groups.Summer (last weekend of August)
Reisai Matsuri Bunkyō (Nezu Shrine)September 21
Tokyo Jidai Matsuri Asakusa This festival celebrates the history of Tokyo and was first held in 1999. (It is not to be confused with Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri.)November 3
Oeshiki Ikegami Honmonji October 11–13
Hatsumōde Meiji Shrine, Sensoji, and other major shrines and templesNew Year's PrayersWinter (between December and February)
Dezome-shikiTokyo Big SightFireman's ParadeWinter (between December and February)
Setsubun Sensō-ji and other major templesWinter (between December and February)

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri, Tokyo, Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri Festival, Celebrating Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri Festival in Tokyo, Tokyo Festivals & Events in the Month of April, Tokyo Festivals & Events, Events in Tokyo, Festivals in Tokyo". Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2019-12-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ Walters, Gary D. A. (1993). Day Walks Near Tokyo. ISBN   9784770016201.
  3. ↑ Tokyo Tourism Info/www.kanko.metro.tokyo.jp [ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ "Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Festival)". Archived from the original on 2004-08-18. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  5. ↑ "Shinagawa-ku 1". Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
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