Sanja Matsuri 2025: Experience Tokyo’s Most Iconic Asakusa Festival in May
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Dive into Japan's festival season starting with Sanja Matsuri 2025 in Tokyo’s historic Asakusa neighborhood! Enjoy shrine parades, traditional dances, and all the fun of a Japanese summer festival!
CONTENTS
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Overview
Sanja Festival or Sanja Matsuri (三社祭) is one of Tokyo’s most vibrant and important traditional festivals, and it attracts millions of visitors every year! Held in the historic Tokyo neighborhood of Asakusa, the festival’s many processions, performances, and other festivities are rooted within the grounds of Asakusa Shrine, a Shinto shrine within the precincts of the Buddhist Sensoji Temple. For just a few days each year, as spring turns to summer, festival-goers can participate in traditions that have been going on for hundreds of years, traveling back in time to experience Tokyo’s Edo roots.
Asakusa Sanja Festival (三社祭) 2025
2025 Event Dates: May 16 ~ May 18
Location: Asakusa Shrine, 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo
Admission: free!
Directions: a few minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line, Tobu Skytree Line, Tsukuba Express)
Official Website (jp)
Festival History
Before the strict religious laws of the Meiji period (1868-1912) came into effect, the people of Japan often blended Buddhism and Shinto religious practices to create a unique set of local beliefs, and this festival is a rare example of that mix lasting into the present day. Sanja Matsuri is a Shinto festival based in the Asakusa Shrine, but in effect it actually celebrates the founding of the Buddhist Sensoji Temple, next door. Sensoji is the oldest temple in Tokyo, and temple legend tells of two brothers who discovered a Buddhist figure caught in their fishing net in the year 628, leading them to convert to Buddhism and establish a small temple with the help of their village chief. This annual celebration is held in honor of the temple’s consecration and the three men who brought it about, which is why the name literally means “Festival of Three Shrines.”
Festival Highlights
While the festival is based within the Asakusa Shrine, a large part of it is focused on a variety of processions where participants parade through the streets of Asakusa. Join the crowd as the heart of the festival snakes through narrow streets and down broad avenues, head back to the shrine grounds to watch traditional dances, and hang out with huge crowds of both local participants and other visitors from around the world!
① Mikoshi Shrine Processions
Over the three-day festival, around 100 portable shrines called mikoshi (神輿) are paraded through the streets, decked out in colorful decorations, and ready for the Shinto priests to bless and purify them for the coming year. These heavy shrines are hefted all the way from the 44 districts of Asakusa to Asakusa Shrine itself, glittering in the sun from all the gold decorations and sweating skin, before being paraded all the way back again. You can catch the finale on the final day of the festival, when the shrine’s three main mikoshi (one for each of Sensoji’s founders) embark on a grand procession to visit all 44 of Asakusa’s districts!
② Binzasara-mai and Other Traditional Performances
After hundreds of years of Sanja Matsuri celebrations, the festival has added a host of traditional performances to the yearly schedule, and visitors will now hear the sounds of dance and taiko drums resonating through the shrine grounds each May. The most iconic performance is the Binzasara-mai, which finds its roots in traditional rituals conducted during the yearly rice planting season. Within the shrine hall, and outside on a raised stage, dancers wield their binzasara (wooden clappers) in rhythmic patterns to pray for a good harvest.
③ Festival Stalls
On top of the massive processions and the unique performances, Sanja Matsuri is also a great place to enjoy classic Japanese festival fun, with stalls crowded into every nook and cranny of the shrine and temple grounds. Shop for souvenirs, try silly carnival-style games, and don’t forget to sample some of the many festival food options!
Tips for Visitors Joining the Festivities This May
Sanja Matsuri is not only a one-of-a-kind cultural event, but it’s a great chance to enjoy all the excitement of Japan’s many summer festivals without the same level of miserable heat and humidity. Of course, you’ll still want to prepare ahead of time for the best experience. Arrive early to get a good viewing spot for the mikoshi processions, dress for warm weather and strong sun, and stay hydrated to keep the early summer heat at bay. While you’ll always want to keep in mind the sacred aspects of this festival and stay respectful, there’s no question that the Sanja Festival is a uniquely fun way to experience Asakusa, so throw on a yukata and get out there – you won’t find a more exciting way to spend a May weekend!
▶︎ Find much more to do in Asakusa, from fancy kitchen knife shopping to pretty parks.
For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don’t forget to follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook!
⇩ Experience the Sanja Matsuri Virtually ⇩
Details
ACCESS:Asakusa Station
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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