Tsukiji Lion Dance Festival

The roads will be closed and the whole town of Tsukiji will take to the streets to celebrate the annual Tsukiji Lion Dance Festival at Namiyoke Shrine.

What happens?

What makes this festival different from all the other mikoshi (portable shrine) processions is the giant lion heads that are carried beside the shrines.

History

Namiyoke Shrine has been a go-to spot for centuries for anyone seeking protection — whether from disasters, rough seas, or bad business luck. But 350 years ago, this area was still underwater. When the Tokugawa Shogunate started reclaiming the land during the Edo era, the embankments kept collapsing, and the project seemed doomed.

Then, as the legend goes, one stormy night, a divine spirit emerged from the ocean. As the locals prayed, the wind and waves eased, and the construction was finally completed in 1659. To honour this miraculous event, the Tsukiji Shishi Matsuri was born.

Schedule 2026

This year’s edition serves as the first commemorative event leading up to the shrine’s 370th anniversary in 2028, with a special unveiling of a newly made platform for the giant Tenjo Shishi (ceiling lion) and umbrella float.

• June 10: Grand Festival Ceremony
• June 11: Chinkasai purification ritual using lilies to ward off disease
• June 12: Evening Festival and spirit transfer ceremony for the mikoshi and sacred tablet
• June 13: Edo satokagura performances by the Ishimori troupe at the main shrine
• June 14: Main procession of the portable shrine and giant lion through Tsukiji
  • 09:00 — Giant lion departs the shrine
  • 09:30 — Portable shrine departs the shrine grounds
  • 15:15 — Giant lion returns to the shrine
  • 15:40 — Portable shrine returns to the shrine

During the June 14 procession, the giant lion will be shoulder-carried at the beginning and end of the route, and transported by cart through the rest of the neighbourhood procession.