Sanja Matsuri 2024: Tokyo’s Biggest Festival
Sanja Matsuri: Join the biggest and wildest festival in Tokyo!!
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Sanja Matsuri (三社祭) or Sanja Festival is one of the three great Shinto festivals in Tokyo held annually for 3 days on the third weekend of May in Asakusa Shrine. The festival is held in honor of Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who founded Senso-ji Temple.
Sanja Matsuri is considered as one of the wildest and largest festivals in Tokyo, which welcomes over 2 million visitors in 3 days.
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The festival begins on Friday afternoon with Daigyoretsu parade, with a large procession of priests, geisha, musicians and dancers with Edo Period costumes through the neighbourhood of Asakusa.
The festival gets bigger and bigger day by day. On Saturday, it features a parade with carrying over 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) along with traditional music and dance from Senso-ji Temple and Asakusa Shrine to their neighbourhoods. The teams complete each other to be more energetic than others. At the final day of the festival on Sunday, three large-sized main mikoshi join the parade. Each mikoshi weighs approx one ton and cost 40 million yen to construct.
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The festival also features the Geisha and taiko (Japanese drum) performances which take place at specific times throughout the weekend.
The festival is chaotic and wild, yet it’s a great opportunity to feel the real vibe of Tokyo’s neighbourhood culture.
MAP:
Access: Short walk from Asakusa station
Date: 17 to 19 May 2024
Website: http://www.asakusajinja.jp/english/
If you are planning to visit Sanja Matsuri, you should definitely explore the Asakusa area as it’s a top tourist site in Tokyo and offers numbers of attractions from famous landmarks to cultural experiences. Here are some recommended articles, introducing the best things to do in Asakusa!
▶ Best Things to Do in Asakusa
▶ Best Tours and Activities in Asakusa
For more information about travelling in Tokyo in May, please check out these links, too!!
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"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Born and raised in Japan, I have lived and explored countries around the world. As a resident of Japan and based on my travel experience, I'd love to share my knowledge and tips for travelling Japan with my readers. I hope my story will help you plan your trip and have a great time in Japan 🌈