Sanja Matsuri

Background

Sanja Matsuri's official name is the Grand Festival of Asakusa Shrine. The shrine was formerly called Sanja Gongen-sha, the "shrine of three deities," because it enshrines three men: the brothers Hinokuma no Hamanari and Takenari and Haji no Manakachi; the festival takes its name from this. Until the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era, the shrine was one with Sensoji Temple and the festival was held as a temple rite. From 1872 it was held on May 17–18; today it runs from Friday to Sunday on the third weekend of May. On the first afternoon comes the Daigyoretsu, a parade of priests, neighbourhood officials, geisha and musicians in Edo-style dress, followed by the Binzasara-mai, an old dengaku dance said to date back to the Muromachi period. On the second day, nearly 100 mikoshi from Asakusa's 44 neighbourhoods are carried to the shrine to be blessed and then paraded through their own districts. Early on the final day comes the miyadashi, when the three main mikoshi leave the shrine; teams from the neighbourhoods take turns carrying them through the streets all day until the miyairi brings them back in the evening.

Local customs

• Watch the first-day Daigyoretsu and Binzasara-mai
• see nearly 100 neighbourhood mikoshi paraded together
• catch the miyadashi and miyairi of the main mikoshi on the final day
• browse the stalls around Sensoji and Nakamise.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Held from Friday to Sunday on the third weekend of May
• the first-day Daigyoretsu is cancelled in rain. Entry to the Sensoji grounds is restricted during the early-morning miyadashi on the final day. Asakusa Shrine stands just east of Sensoji's main hall, a walk from Asakusa station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line or Tobu line. The festival is very crowded, so allow plenty of time.

2027 schedule

Asakusa Shrine has published the 2027 schedule: May 14–16, subject to change.