Nihongo Notes

I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo during the Sanja Matsuri (三社祭, ”Three Shrine Festival”) at Asakusa. Here’s some info on it from Wikipedia:

The Sanja Matsuri (三社祭, “Three Shrine Festival”), or the Sanja Festival, is one of the three great Shinto festivals in Tokyo, along with the Kanda Matsuri and Sannō Matsuri, and it is considered one of the wildest and largest. Its purpose is to honor Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who established and founded Sensō-ji. The festival is held on the third weekend of every May at Asakusa Shrine. Its prominent parades revolve around three mikoshi (the three shrines referenced in the name Sanja), as well as traditional music and dancing. Over its three days, the festival attracts anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million locals and tourists every year.

It was my first full day in Japan and what better way to start the trip than with a festival! I ended up walking down some of the side streets waiting for the parade to start and found some interesting shops and a very peaceful garden. Once I returned to the temple area it was packed with people waiting with cameras in hand. I somehow ended up right at the front of the crowd. As I finished taking my first shots of the parade I brought my arms down and hit something with my elbows. It turned out to be the head of a small Japanese old man who fit perfectly under my arms as we both took photos. A quick “すみません” sorted that out and we got back to taking photos…

The crowd was well behaved, and in good spirits. When a group of Geisha walked by a man shouted in Japanese and the nearby crowd laughed and applauded. I couldn’t understand what was said but the tone of his voice suggested he liked what he saw.

The heron-hooded dancers were the most interesting part of the parade. I was amazed how they kept their hats on! Everyone else seemed just as interested in them as there was a small crowd following their every move.

The parade was soon over but people stayed and continued to eat and drink. It was a great start to my holiday and I recommend you check out the festival next time if you get the chance.

See more in my Sanja Matsuri 2008 Flickr set