Written by Greg Lane
Researched by Alexandra Ziminski
The Sanja Matsuri is known as one of the “3 Great Shinto Festivals in Tokyo” — along with the Kanda and Sanno festivals. It takes place every year over the third weekend of May.
What happens?
This is one of Tokyo’s rowdier festivals. Some two million spectators typically turn up to watch rather energetic, sometimes tattooed gentlemen doing what can most accurately be described as “mikoshi jousting.” Whereas in other festivals the mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers may bounce the incredibly heavy mikoshi, during the Sanja Matsuri, fundoshi-clad (like a loin cloth) participants often ride on the top and will try to knock opponents off — even though this is strictly prohibited.
Schedule
Sunday is the most popular day (due to certain tattooed men making an appearance in the backstreets), but also the busiest and longest, so consider the other days for a quieter experience. Traffic regulations will be in place on Sunday.
May 16 (Fri.)
- 13:00: A long procession, which includes dancing and traditional floats, will take place. They’ll set off from just north of Sensōji Temple and make their way past Asakusa Station (Tsukuba Exp.) before going down Nakamise Street and arriving at Asakusa Shrine.
- 14:20: A special dance will be held at Asakusa Shrine to celebrate the arrival of the procession.
May 17 (Sat.)
- From noon: Local mikoshi will be paraded from Asakusa Shrine.
- 16:00: There will be a shrine maiden dance performance.
May 18 (Sun.)
- 08:00–20:00: From early in the morning, the mikoshi will parade around Asakusa and the shrine. If you want to get a good spot, try and make sense of the route maps provided on the website.
- 14:00–16:00: Expect shrine maiden dancing and drum performances at Asakusa Shrine.
Tips
We visited on Sunday and arrived around 8:30 a.m. We managed to squeeze our way into the crowd (amidst the sea of phones) and get a good view of one of the mikoshi starting a new route from the Kaminarimon Gate of Sensōji. It can get quite chaotic as soon as the mikoshi sets off, but security and local participants quickly step in to manage the crowds.
People usually follow the mikoshi as it continues across Asakusa. If you’re anxious about crowds, a better option is to find a spot along the route and wait for the mikoshi to come to you. In our experience, it wasn’t too bad following along — though it did get more crowded near Sensōji Temple. You can also leave the line, walk down the quieter streets, and rejoin the route further ahead on the busier streets.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
