or the Kanda Festival, is one of the three great
Shinto
, also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
festivals
A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...
of
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, along with the
Fukagawa Matsuri
or the Fukagawa Festival, is one of the three great Shinto festivals of Tokyo, along with the Kanda Matsuri and Sannō Matsuri.
The Fukagawa Matsuri is held annually in mid-August by the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine in Koto, Tokyo. Tomioka Hachi ...
and
Sannō Matsuri
or the Sannō Festival, is a major Shinto festival in Tokyo, along with the Fukagawa Matsuri and Kanda Matsuri. The Festival takes place annually in mid-June, but involves a procession called Shinkosai in even-numbered years only; annual cele ...
. The festival started in the early 17th century as a celebration of
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
's decisive victory at the
battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
and was continued as a display of the prosperity of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period.
[ ] Additionally, the current form of the festival is also held in honor of the ''
kami
are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'' of
Kanda Myōjin
, is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The shrine dates back 1,270 years, but the current structure was rebuilt several times due to fire and earthquakes. It is situated in one of the most expensive estate areas of Tokyo. Kanda ...
(Kanda Shrine).
The festival is held on the Saturday and Sunday preceding May 15, but since it alternates with the Sannō Matsuri, it is only held in odd-numbered years. On these years, the festival takes place at Kanda Shrine as well as in surrounding central Tokyo districts. Its prominent parades involve over 200 ''
mikoshi
A is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when ...
'', in addition to musicians, dancers, and
floats.
See also
*
Culture of Japan
Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world.
Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...
*
Japanese calendar
Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the Japanese era name, year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written f ...
*
Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word ''matsuri'' is related to the ; there are theories that the word ''matsuri'' is derived from meaning "to wait (for ...
*
Festivals in Tokyo
Tokyo holds many festivals (''matsuri'') throughout the year. Major Shinto shrine festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine. The Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo is held every two years in May. The fes ...
References
External links
*
Religious festivals in Japan
Festivals in Tokyo
Culture of Japan
Shinto festivals
Shinto in Tokyo
Parades in Japan
Spring (season) in Japan
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