Sanja Matsuri

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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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Description of events 2.1 Day by day 3 Other attractions 4 Festival schedule 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

Like many Japanese festivals, Sanja Matsuri is a religious celebration. This Shinto festival dedicates an entire weekend to the kami (spirits) of three specific men. Of these men, it is believed that two fishermen - brothers named Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari - found a statuette of the Bodhisattva Kannon (the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) caught in a fishing-net in the Sumida River on May 17, 628.^[3] The third man, a wealthy landlord named Hajino Nakatomo, heard about the discovery, approached the brothers and converted them to Buddhism. The three of them then devoted their lives to the Buddhist faith and consecrated the statue in a small temple.^[4] This temple, now known as the Sensō-ji, currently houses the Kannon statue and is the oldest temple in Tokyo.

The festival appears to have many forms that date back as early as the 7th century, as well as several names such as "Kannon Matsuri" and "Asakusa Matsuri".^[5] Sanja Matsuri's present day form, however, was established during the Edo Period. In 1649, shogunate Tokugawa Iemitsu commissioned the construction of Asakusa Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the same three men as Sanja Matsuri. The existence of this building helped to solidify the festival's importance as well as its current structure and organization.^[6]

[edit] Description of events

While the festival is highly religious in its origins, it is primarily a festival of celebration. For this reason, the atmosphere around Asakusa during the weekend of the festival is charged and energetic. People almost continuously flood the streets and flutes, whistles, chanting and taiko (traditional Japanese drums) can be heard echoing throughout the district all weekend.

The main attractions on the final day are three Asakusa Shrine-owned mikoshi (portable shrines). These three elaborate black lacquered-wood shrines are built to act as miniature versions of Asakusa Shrine. Decorated with gold sculptures and painted with gold leaf, each mikoshi weighs approximately one ton and cost ¥40 million (US$390,760 in 2008) to construct.^[2] They are carried on four long poles lashed together with ropes, and each needs around 20 people in front and 20 in back to safely carry them. Throughout the day, a total of around 500 people are involved with each shrine.^[2]

Because of the importance of the objects, the areas immediately surrounding Asakusa Shrine's three mikoshi as they roam the streets can be rather hectic. As they are carried throughout Asakusa, the shrines are shaken and bounced vehemently. This is believed to intensify the power of the kami that are thought to be mounted on the shrines and helps to bestow good luck upon their respective neighborhoods.^[7] It is also not unusual for there to be someone standing on the poles supporting the mikoshi shouting and waving in order to help direct the people carrying him and the shrine. This sense of direction can be essential when trying to keep the one ton mikoshi from accidentally colliding with street-side shops and causing considerable damage.^[2]

While the three primary mikoshi are the most important objects roaming the streets during the Sanja Matsuri, approximately 100 other smaller mikoshi are paraded through the neighborhood on Saturday. Of these shrines, several smaller ones exist that are solely carried by women or even small children.^[2]

[edit] Day by day

Though not an actual part of the festivities, the official start of the Sanja Matsuri begins on Thursday with a very important religious ceremony. This ceremony requires the head priest at Asakusa Shrine to perform a ritual which moves the enshrined spirits of the three men at Asakusa Shrine to the three mikoshi that will be parading around the streets during the weekend.^[8] By opening the small doors located on the mikoshi (though the interior is obscured to the public via a cotton curtain), the three kami are invited into the miniature shrines where they will reside for the duration of the festival.^[2]

The festival's more publicized beginning starts on Friday when the Daigyōretsu (大行列 ^?, "Large Parade") is held.^[7] This famous 19 block grand procession down Yanagi Street and Nakamise Street to Asakusa Shrine is an exciting event that energizes the entire community. It is most known for its participants' lavish costumes, such as heron-hooded dancers, geisha and city officials wearing hakama (traditional Japanese clothing).^[2] Musicians, performers and dancers also parade down the streets of Asakusa in traditional Japanese attire during the procession. In the evening, the first six mikoshi from the most central neighborhoods are sent parading on the shoulders of several dozen people through the streets.^[2]

On the following day of the festival, Saturday, approximately 100 mikoshi from 44 of Asakusa's districts gather at the Kaminarimon.^[6] Once there, they are then paraded through Nakamise Street and stop at the Hōzōmon where they pay their respects to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Afterwards, the mikoshi are carried to Asakusa Shrine where Shinto priests bless and purify them for the coming year.^[6] When the ceremony is completed, the mikoshi are then carried back and paraded through their respective neighborhoods.

The Sanja Matsuri's most important event occurs on the following Sunday. The procession of the three Asakusa Shrine-owned mikoshi begin their march down the Nakamise toward the Kaminarimon early Sunday morning. These three elaborate shrines honor and represent the three men responsible for founding the Sensō-ji. During this final day of the festival, these three important mikoshi are divided into three different groups in order to visit and bestow blessing to all 44 blocks of downtown and residential Asakusa. When evening falls, the three shrines find their way back to Asakusa Shrine in another grand procession that lasts late into the night.^[9]

[edit] Other attractions

In addition to the traditional events, Sanja Matsuri has several other popular draws. For example, festival goers can visit hundreds of shops found in the Nakamise, a street connecting the Kaminarimon and the Hōzōmon. Many small food stands are also erected in the surrounding areas for the entire weekend. Another famous example involves Japan's infamous Yakuza. Devout Yakuza members often get full body tattoos, known as irezumi, which are usually illegal to display publicly in Japan. During Sanja Matsuri, however, this ban is lifted and Yakuza members proudly show off their tattoos.^[10]

Other spectacles that draw crowds are the Geisha and taiko performances that take place at specific times throughout the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, Geisha that don their traditional attire put on performances from 1-3 pm on the second floor of the Asakusa Kenban. These performances, which require visitors to purchase tickets, have been ranked as one of the 10 best Geisha shows in all of Japan.^[11] On Saturday afternoon, members of the Nihon Taiko Dojo, a prominent Tokyo taiko academy, perform a free half-hour traditional music show at Asakusa Shrine.^[2]

[edit] Festival schedule

Though there are many activities in and around the Asakusa Shrine area that are not time dependent, there are a few events that start and stop and specific times throughout the weekend.

Time	Event	Description	Location	Notes
Preparation, Thursday
7 am	Asakusa Shrine's Kami Relocation	The head priest moves the kami from Asakusa Shrine to the respective mikoshi	Asakusa Shrine	[8]
Day 1, Friday
1 pm	Daigyōretsu begins	Large parade involving many people and floats	Yanagi St. & Nakamise St.	[12]
2:20 pm	Binzasara Dance	Traditional dance used to pray for prosperity and a good harvest	Haiden (hall in Asakusa Shrine)	[12][8]
3 pm	Binzasara Dance	Traditional dance used to pray for prosperity and a good harvest	Kaguraden (pavilion in Asakusa Shrine)	[12][8]
Day 2, Saturday
12:30 pm	Local mikoshi depart	About 100 mikoshi from 44 districts of Asakusa begin their tour of the town	Asakusa Shrine	[8]
Day 3, Sunday
6 am	Three main mikoshi depart	3 main mikoshi depart from Asakusa shrine to start their tour of the districts of Asakusa	Asakusa Shrine	[12]
8 pm	Three main mikoshi return	After touring the districts of Asakusa, the 3 main miksohi return	Asakusa Shrine	[12]

[edit] See also

• Culture of Japan
• Japanese calendar
• Japanese festivals
• Festivals in Tokyo

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website (in Japanese)
• Asakusa-Geisha (in Japanese)