Hanazono Shrine Grand Festival

Held annually on the weekend closest to May 28, this traditional festival at Shinjuku's Hanazono Shrine has been going on since before the Edo era (1603-1867). You can look forward to an array of food stalls and lively ceremonial rites, but the highlight is the Sunday parade which starts at around noon. For this special event, the shrine's handsome 1.5-tonne mikoshi (portable shrine) is taken on a procession through the surrounding neighbourhoods.