One of the most famous festivals of Tokyo, Kanda
Matsuri is also ranked among the three largest festivals
of Japan. Protected by the Shogun during the Edo Period
(1603-1867) and permitted to enter the grounds of Edo
Castle where he lived, it also came to be called ‘Tenka
Matsuri'(‘Tenka’ meaning Shogun). The main festival is
conducted in years ending in odd numbers according to
the Western calendar, and the festivals held in even-
numbered years are much smaller in scale. The rule to
change the scale of the festival in alternate years was
determined by the Shogun in the Edo Period, for the
festivals then were so extravagant.
The main attraction well worth viewing in odd-numbered
years is the parade on the Saturday, when some 300
people march through central Tokyo districts such as
Kanda, Nihombashi, Otemachi, Marunouchi, and so on.
In addition to the portable shrines with a phoenix
decorated on the roof there are all kinds of floats, and
Shinto priests mounted on horseback line up in rows,
producing a spectacular sight. On the Sunday, almost
100 small and large portable shrines gather from each
quarter. Recommended souvenirs are T-shirts printed
with pictures of the festival scene, fans, towels, etc.
Kanda, the venue of the festival, was formerly the central
quarter of Edo (present-day Tokyo) back in the Edo
Period. And those born and bred in Kanda were called
‘Edokko.’ Eddokos are considered to be very high-
spirited, and their characteristics are reflected in the
Kanda Matsuri which is a jovial festival brimming with
energy. The Kanda Myojin Museum, which is open to the
public on weekends and on national holidays, has a
diorama of the Kanda Matsuri and also displays models
of floats. If you wish to find out more about the festival,
you should visit this museum.
