Sanja Festival

Held yearly on the third weekend of May, the Sanja (Three Gods) festival honors three humble fishermen who pulled out the statue of Kannon from the sea in the seventh century and preserved in nearby Sensoji Temple.

The three fishermen were later given godly status and became the resident deities of Asakusa Shrine. The Sanja festival is the biggest of its kind in Tokyo and draws huge crowds of frenzied devotees.

It became very popular during the Edo period and today it features the parading of more than a 100 mikoshi by residents around the crowded streets near Asakusa Shrine.

The Festival is held for three days. On the first day, a parade of over 500 people begins in the afternoon. After touring the district near the shrine, the paraders take part in a ritual to pray for an ample harvest. On the second day, about a hundred mikoshi sponsored by parishioner associations are paraded through the streets of Asakusa.

Hours: 7a.m- 7p.m.

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Contact Information

Sanja Festival
Asakusa Shrine
111-0032 Tokyo

Tel. +81352112171

http://http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/calendar/may/sanja.html