Tokugawa Matsuri

[Brayan Jacobsen]

SinceEdo era,Sanno-Matsuri parade was only one event permitted to march into the Edo Castle and had an honor attendance of Tokugawa Shoguns. This is one of the three major festivals in Tokyo and also one of the three major Japanese festivals along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and Tenjin Festival in Osaka.

This year, the main festival of the biennial Sanno-matsuri festival will be held. This is a traditional event of Hie-jinja Shrine held from June 7 (Thu.) to 17 (Sun.), and is the collective name for more than 20 festivities.

July

Festivals such as the Star Festival (Tanabata) and the Festival of Souls (Obon) have been held in July and August up to today. In the city of Edo, markets called "kusaichi" appeared in various locations and necessary items for the Festival of Souls (Obon) were put on the market. The unabbreviated name of "Obon" is "Urabon-e", which means greeting one's ancestors and sending them off to the other world. For the people who worked as merchants, the 16th was a day off called Yabuiri, and they could go to a theatre to see a play or make a visit to a shrine or temple.

August

The days gradually become shorter in August and this indicates that autumn is on its way. The 1st of August, which is called Hassaku-no-hi, is a very important holiday for the Tokugawa Shogunate and various events were performed since the Tokugawa Ieyasu, who later became the first Tokugawa Shogun, entered the city of Edo on the same day in 1590 (the 18th year of Tempō era).

September

The 9th of September is called Chōyō-no-sekku or Kiku-no-sekku as there is a double 9, which is a lucky number and so this makes the day most auspicious. Visitors are able to drink some kikuzake (chrysanthemum sake) in the hope of perpetual youth and longevity at Sensōji in Asakusa and this attracts many visitors to join the memorial service for broken needles (harikuyō). One other event people look forward to in September is the Kanda Myōjin-matsuri. In particular, the people who lived in downtown areas regarded this festival as the most important one.

The Fukagawa Hachiman Festival has earned itself the nickname Mizukake Matsuri, or Water-Splashing Festival. During the festival, over 120 mikoshi (small, kami-toting palanquins) are marched through the streets by devoted shrine-goers, accompanied by dancers and musicians, in the Mikoshi Rengo Togyo or Procession of the Divine Palanquins.

Those watching from the sidelines throw water onto the procession, believing that not only the bearers but the kami (or divine spirits) will enjoy a refreshing soak to beat the humid summer heat. More historically, the water was also symbolic of purification. All told, around 30,000 people are involved, and the event attracts over half a million spectators on the hon matsuri (main festival) years.

The annual festival is held each year in mid-August, and is one of the three major Shinto celebrations of Tokyo. The others are the Sanja Festival and the Kanda Festival. But once every three years, the Fukagawa Festival celebrates its hon matsuri, a bigger and better version of itself. The nearest super-sized festival dates are 2017, 2020, and 2023.

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