Sanja Matsuri, or the Festival of Asakusa Shrine, dates back to the Edo period. In Tokyo, it was known as the wildest festival of all in Japan. It is held each year and lasts for 3 days. During this period it attracts around 1.5 million visitors each year, making it one of the biggest and most important festivals in the country.

Sanja Matsuri has one main feature that is the grand procession. This main event is called "Daigyoretsu" and it is happening on the 18th of May this year.
Also, in the morning, portable shrines are carried through the streets of Askusa and undergo the purification ceremony after which they are brought back to their respective neighborhoods.
The so called mikoshi (the portable shrines of Asakusa shrine) are huge at times and beautifully held in black and gold lacquer. They normally are so big and elaborate that they have to be carried by many men. The purpose of these processions is to bring good luck, prosperity and the best blessings.

The people who carry the shrines at Sanja Matsuri will try to shake it as much as they can bear. Why? Because the believing is that the more it is shaken, the more blessings will come upon the neighbourhood it belongs to.

All this happens together with a lot of dancing, music, performances and of course drinking in the streets. Sanja Matsuri, the Festivel of Asakusa Shrine is a cheerful and happy festival where everybody has a lot of fun with it.

The following is the daily schedule for the Sanja Matsuri or Festival of Asakusa shrine:

On the first day (which is always the 3rd Friday of May) several hundred people will walk through the neighborhoods for the purification ritual. The following day sees the mikoshi processions described above while the third day is probably the most spectacular one. On the last day, 3 giant mikoshi of Asakusa are paraded through the city. Each of these weighs over a ton. They are walked through the city together with all the other ones.

As said before, there are many other performers at Sanja Matsuri, musicians and cheering people in the streets. You will see dancers, musicians, geishas, children and even animals dressed up in traditional clothing.
One very rare chance is also given: The Sanja Matsuri or Festival of Asakusa shrine is the only day where the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia, is displaying their tattoos openly, a normally by law prohibited act. So this is the only day that you can see some of Tokyo's gangsters peacefully walking the streets.

For your convenience, here is a selection of hotels in Asakusa that you can book to enjoy this unique festival in Japan. These hotels are all close to or in Asakusa area but you can of course also browse Tokyo Hotels in other areas:

Astil Ueno Hotel Tokyo (3 stars)

Blue Wave Inn Hotel Tokyo (3 stars)

Chisun Inn Asakusa Hotel (3 stars)

Chisun Ueno Hotel Tokyo (3 stars)

Skycourt Asakusa Hotel Tokyo (2 stars)

Sunroute Asakusa Hotel Tokyo (3 stars)

Ueno First City Hotel Tokyo (3 stars)