MAY | SANJA FESTIVAL

Usually held on the third full weekend of May, the Sanja festival is one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals. Hosted by the Sensoji Temple, this festival honors the three founders of the temple who are enshrined in the Asakusa Shrine right next to the temple. Over the course of the three days, over 2 million people visit the festival making it one of the most popular and wildest festivals.

Over the course of the weekend over 100 portable shrines are brought out and paraded around the streets to bring good fortune to the area. The main attraction is on the last day of the festival when the 3 main portable shrines are brought out. As with all festivals, the area of Asakusa will be packed with food stalls, festival games and a lively atmosphere filled with the sound of drums, flutes and instruments.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Tokyo Cheapo

Location: 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032, Sensoji Temple

Dates: Third full weekend of May

Website: http://www.senso-ji.jp/english/

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from the Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line, Asakusa Line, Tobu Skytree Line and Tsukuba Express.