Known as one of the three great festivals of Edo (along with the Sanno and Kanda festivals), the matsuri at Fukagawa’s Tomioka Hachimangu shrine takes place annually, but is celebrated in its full glory only once every three years.
The festival, which boasts 380 years of history, is well known for its unique water-splashing tradition. People enthusiastically throw water at the mikoshi (portable shrines) as an act of purification, drenching everyone in the vicinity, thus creating a playful and cooling experience, especially in the summer heat.
As the full version of the festival was last celebrated in 2023, this year you can expect a scaled-down – but still impressive nonetheless – version of the festivities. The main event, which is a mikoshi parade featuring Japan's heaviest mikoshi at two tonnes, will be held on Sunday August 17 from 7am to 5.05pm. Note that there will be no water splashing this year.
The festivities in the shrine grounds begin on August 13 and continue until August 17, with notable highlights including a jazz performance on August 13 (3pm) and the koto and shamisen performance on August 15 (4pm).
For more information including the festival schedule, check the shrine website.