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 celebrated just last year, this year you can expect a scaled-down – but still impressive nonetheless – version of the festivities. The main event, which is the mikoshi parade performed by children, will be held on Sunday August 11 at 9am.
Featuring an impressive total of 52 mikoshi, the procession will travel from the Monzen-Nakacho intersection to Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine. Feel free to join the bystanders in splashing water at the procession – just be prepared to get wet. Later in the afternoon, there’s a ballad concert at 3pm plus an energetic Iwami Kagura dance performance at 6pm, all happening within the shrine grounds.
The festivities continue until August 15, with notable highlights include the jazz performance on August 13 (3pm) and the koto and shamisen performance on August 14 (2pm).
For more information including the festival schedule, check the shrine website.