Fukagawa Hachiman Festival 深川八幡祭

After the Kanda festivals in May and Sanno in June, the Fukagawa Hachiman festival closes the festivities of Tokyo's three biggest Shinto celebrations. It is in mid-August that this big festival takes place. However, it is only every three years that Hachiman's huge two-ton imperial mikoshi is moved in an impressive procession.

For five days, a hundred mikoshi are transported by the faithful in the streets of Fukagawa. Near the center of Tokyo, this old district of Edo is a haven of tranquility where large parks and shopping streets with century-old architecture mingle.

The main 8-kilometer procession on Sunday starts at 7:30 am from Tomioka Hachiman-gu Shrine, Tokyo's most prominent shrine dedicated to the deity Hachiman, god of war and divine protector of Japan, and its people. After Inari, it is the most revered Shinto deity across Japan. This shrine is deeply rooted in the history of the capital; since erected almost 400 years ago, it saw the birth of the ancestor of professional sumo and was visited by Emperor Hirohito after the bombings of 1945.

Suppose this festival is so popular and brings together thousands of curious people. In that case, it is partly because the spectators are invited to sprinkle water on the bearers of mikoshi. Using squirt guns, buckets, or even garden hoses, Japanese people of all ages provide a refreshing shower for the hard-working worshipers. A brilliant idea to withstand the oppressive heat of Tokyo in the middle of August.

Finally, don't forget to taste the specialty of the district: the Fukagawa meshi, made with a broth of clams and other shellfish. An unforgettable stroll off the beaten track in a residential area steeped in history in the heart of old Edo.

See also: Culinary specialties of kanto

To give you an idea of the atmosphere there can be during a Japanese matsuri, here is a video of the 2017 edition of the Fukagawa Hachiman festival.