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, or Sanja Festival, is one of the three great Shinto
Shinto

is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religion practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial cult called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period....
 festivals in Tokyo
Festivals in Tokyo

Tokyo holds many Japanese festivals throughout the year. Major festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Matsuri at Asakusa Shrine....
, along with the Kanda Matsuri
Kanda Matsuri

or the Kanda Festival, is one of the three great Shinto Festivals in Tokyo of Toyko, along with the Sanja Matsuri and Sanno Matsuri. The festival started in the early 1600s as a celebration of Tokugawa Ieyasu's decisive victory at the battle of Sekigahara and was continued as a display of the prosperity of the Tokugawa shogunate during the...
 and Sanno Matsuri. It is considered one of the wildest and largest. The festival is held in honor of Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who established and founded Senso-ji
Senso-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II....
. Sanja Matsuri is held on the third weekend of every May at Asakusa Shrine
Asakusa Shrine

, also known as Sanja-sama , is one of the most famous Shinto Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Asakusa, the shrine honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji....
. Its prominent parades revolve around three mikoshi
Mikoshi

A is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities....
 (three portable shrines referenced in the festival's name), as well as traditional music and dancing.






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, or Sanja Festival, is one of the three great Shinto
Shinto

is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religion practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial cult called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period....
 festivals in Tokyo
Festivals in Tokyo

Tokyo holds many Japanese festivals throughout the year. Major festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Matsuri at Asakusa Shrine....
, along with the Kanda Matsuri
Kanda Matsuri

or the Kanda Festival, is one of the three great Shinto Festivals in Tokyo of Toyko, along with the Sanja Matsuri and Sanno Matsuri. The festival started in the early 1600s as a celebration of Tokugawa Ieyasu's decisive victory at the battle of Sekigahara and was continued as a display of the prosperity of the Tokugawa shogunate during the...
 and Sanno Matsuri. It is considered one of the wildest and largest. The festival is held in honor of Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who established and founded Senso-ji
Senso-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II....
. Sanja Matsuri is held on the third weekend of every May at Asakusa Shrine
Asakusa Shrine

, also known as Sanja-sama , is one of the most famous Shinto Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Asakusa, the shrine honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji....
. Its prominent parades revolve around three mikoshi
Mikoshi

A is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities....
 (three portable shrines referenced in the festival's name), as well as traditional music and dancing. Over the course of three days, the festival attracts 1.5 to 2 million locals and tourists every year.

History

Like many Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals

Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions. Some festivals have their roots in Traditional Chinese holidayss but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs.These Japanese festival has deep root in Nepal.Concept of these festivals transported to China from Nepal then from China to Japan....
, Sanja Matsuri is a religious celebration. It is a weekend-long Shinto festival that is dedicated to the kami
Kami

is the Japanese language word for the spirits within objects in the Shinto faith. The oldest surviving record of their creation is in the Kojiki of 712....
 (spirits) of three men. It is believed that two fishermen—brothers named Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari—found a statuette of the Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva

In the Buddhist context, a bodhisattva means either "enlightened existence " or "enlightenment-being" or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment "....
 Kannon caught in a fishing net in the Sumida River
Sumida River

The Sumida River is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda River and Shakujii River rivers....
 on May 17, 628. The third man, a wealthy landlord named Hajino Nakatomo, heard about the discovery, approached the brothers and converted them to Buddhism
Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
. The three of men then devoted their lives to the Buddhist faith and consecrated the statue in a small temple. This temple, now known as the Senso-ji
Senso-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II....
, currently houses the Kannon statue and is the oldest temple in Tokyo.

The Sanja Matsuri appears to have many forms that date back as early as the 7th century, as well as several names such as "Kannon Matsuri" and "Asakusa Matsuri". Sanja Matsuri's present day form was established during the Edo Period
Edo period

The , or , is a division of History of Japan running from 1603 to 1868. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu....
. In 1649, shogunate Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu

Tokugawa Iemitsu , sometimes Romanisation Iyemitsu, was the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate who reigned from 1623 to 1651. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
 commissioned the construction of Asakusa Shrine
Asakusa Shrine

, also known as Sanja-sama , is one of the most famous Shinto Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Asakusa, the shrine honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji....
, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the three kami. The existence of this shrine helped to solidify the festival's importance as well as its current structure and organization.

Description of events

Religious in origin, Sanja Matsuri is primarily a festival of celebration. The atmosphere around Asakusa
Asakusa

File:Kaminarimon1500.jpg is a district in Taito, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Senso-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several more temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals....
 during the weekend of the festival is charged and energetic. People continuously flood the streets surrounding the Senso-ji and flutes, whistles, chanting and taiko
Taiko

means "drum" in Japanese language . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming ....
 (traditional Japanese drums) can be heard throughout the district.

The festival's main attractions are three Asakusa Shrine-owned mikoshi
Mikoshi

A is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities....
 that appear on the third and final day of the festival. These three elaborate, black lacquered-wood shrines are built to act as miniature, portable versions of Asakusa Shrine. Decorated with gold sculptures and painted with gold leaf, each mikoshi weighs approximately one ton and cost ¥
Japanese yen

The is the currency of Japan. It is the third most-traded currency in the forex after the euro and the United States dollar. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S....
40 million ($390,760 in 2008) to construct. They are carried on four long poles lashed together with ropes, and each needs approximately 40 people dispersed evenly to safely carry them. Throughout the day, a total of about 500 people participate in carrying each shrine.

Because of the importance of these three mikoshi, they are spectacles as they are carried through the streets. The areas immediately surrounding each shrine are busy with people, and as they are carried, they are shaken and bounced vehemently. This action is believed to intensify the power of the kami
Kami

is the Japanese language word for the spirits within objects in the Shinto faith. The oldest surviving record of their creation is in the Kojiki of 712....
 that are seated in the shrines and helps to bestow good luck upon their respective neighborhoods. It is not unusual for there to be someone standing on the poles supporting the mikoshi shouting and waving in order to help direct the people carrying the shrine. This sense of direction can be essential when trying to keep the one ton mikoshi from accidentally colliding with street-side shops and causing considerable damage.

While the three primary mikoshi are the most important objects roaming the streets during the Sanja Matsuri, approximately 100 other smaller mikoshi are paraded through the neighborhood on Saturday. Of these shrines, several are solely carried by women or small children.

Day by day

Though not a part of the festivities, the official start of the Sanja Matsuri begins on Thursday with an important religious ceremony. This ceremony requires Asakusa Shrine's head priest
Kannushi

A kannushi is responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shinto shrine as well as leading worship. He generally does not proselytize. Traditionally, most jinja did not have a kannushi and were maintained by a committee of the local populace who are called ujiko ....
 to perform a ritual that moves the enshrined kami of the three men at Asakusa Shrine to the three mikoshi that will be paraded around the Asakusa during the weekend. By opening the small doors located on each mikoshi (the interior is obscured to the public by a small cotton curtain), the three spirits are invited into the miniature shrines where they will reside for the duration of the festival. The festival's more publicized beginning starts on Friday when the is held. This famous 19-block grand procession down Yanagi Street and Nakamise-dori
Senso-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II....
 to Asakusa Shrine is an event that is used to energize the community. It is most known for its participants' lavish costumes, such as heron
Heron

The herons are wading birds in the Ardeidae family. Some are called egrets or bitterns instead of herons.Within the family, all members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and - including the Zigzag Heron or Zigzag Bittern - are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae....
-hooded dancers, geisha
Geisha

, or are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance....
 and city officials wearing hakama
Hakama

Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both men and women. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles....
 (traditional Japanese clothing). Musicians, performers and dancers also parade down the streets of Asakusa in traditional Japanese attire during the procession. In the evening, six mikoshi from the most central neighborhoods are sent parading through the streets on the shoulders of several dozen people.

On the following day, Saturday, approximately 100 mikoshi from the 44 Asakusa districts gather at the Kaminarimon
Kaminarimon

The is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo. Known as the face of Asakusa, the gate sports an ornate lantern and statues, and as a result it is extremely popular with tourists....
. They are then paraded through Nakamise-dori and stop at the Hozomon
Hozomon

The is the inner of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo. This two-story gate houses many of the Senso-ji's treasures on its second story, while the first story houses several statues, lanterns and even giant sandals....
 where they pay their respects to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Afterwards, the mikoshi are carried to Asakusa Shrine
Asakusa Shrine

, also known as Sanja-sama , is one of the most famous Shinto Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Asakusa, the shrine honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji....
 where Shinto
Shinto

is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religion practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial cult called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period....
 priests bless and purify them for the coming year. When the ceremony is completed, they are then carried back and paraded through their respective neighborhoods.

Sanja Matsuri's most important events occurs on the following Sunday. The procession of the three Asakusa Shrine-owned mikoshi begin their march down Nakamise-dori toward the Kaminarimon early Sunday morning. These three elaborate shrines honor and represent the three men responsible for founding the Senso-ji
Senso-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II....
. During this final day of the festival, these important mikoshi are split up in order to visit and bestow blessing to all 44 districts of downtown and residential Asakusa. When evening falls, the three shrines find their way back to Asakusa Shrine in another grand procession that lasts late into the night.

Other attractions

In addition to the traditional events, Sanja Matsuri has several other popular draws. For example, festival goers can visit hundreds of shops found in the Nakamise, a street connecting the Kaminarimon and the Hozomon. Many small food stands are also erected in the surrounding areas for the entire weekend. Yakuza
Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as "violence groups".Today, the Yakuza are among the largest crime organizations in the world....
 members also proudly show off their tattoos.

Other spectacles that draw crowds are the Geisha
Geisha

, or are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance....
 and taiko
Taiko

means "drum" in Japanese language . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming ....
 performances that take place at specific times throughout the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, Geisha that don their traditional attire put on performances from 1-3 pm on the second floor of the Asakusa Kenban. These performances, which require visitors to purchase tickets, have been ranked as one of the 10 best Geisha shows in all of Japan. On Saturday afternoon, members of the Nihon Taiko Dojo, a prominent Tokyo taiko academy, perform a free half-hour traditional music show at Asakusa Shrine.

Festival schedule

Though there are many activities during Sanja Matsuri that are not time dependent, there are a few events that start and stop and specific times throughout the weekend.

Time Event Description Location Notes
Preparation, Thursday
7 am Asakusa Shrine's Kami Relocation The head priest moves the kami from Asakusa Shrine to the respective mikoshi Asakusa Shrine
Day 1, Friday
1 pm Daigyoretsu begins Large parade involving many people and floats Yanagi St. & Nakamise-dori
2:20 pm Binzasara Dance Traditional dance used to pray for prosperity and a good harvest Haiden (hall in Asakusa Shrine)
3 pm Binzasara Dance Traditional dance used to pray for prosperity and a good harvest Kaguraden (pavilion in Asakusa Shrine)
Day 2, Saturday
12:30 pm Local mikoshi depart About 100 mikoshi from 44 districts of Asakusa begin their tour of the town Asakusa Shrine
Day 3, Sunday
6 am Three main mikoshi depart 3 main mikoshi depart from Asakusa shrine to start their tour of the districts of Asakusa Asakusa Shrine
8 pm Three main mikoshi return After touring the districts of Asakusa, the 3 main miksohi return Asakusa Shrine


See also

  • Culture of Japan
    Culture of Japan

    The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America....
  • Japanese calendar
    Japanese calendar

    Since January 1, 1873, Japan has used the Gregorian calendar, with local names for the months and mostly fixed holidays. Before 1873, a lunisolar calendar was in use, which was adapted from the Chinese calendar....
  • Festivals in Tokyo
    Festivals in Tokyo

    Tokyo holds many Japanese festivals throughout the year. Major festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Matsuri at Asakusa Shrine....


External links

  • (in Japanese)
  • (in Japanese)