 Most viewed - Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival 浅草三社祭 |
The golden sculpture is atop the Asahi Beer building in Asakusa. It's supposed to be beer froth, but most people think it looks like doo-doo.399 views
|
|
Sanja Festival381 views
|
|
The three-day Asakusa Sanja Matsuri is held during the weekend of the third Sunday of May. Numerous portable shrines (mikoshi) parade all over Asakusa amid huge crowds. Most of these photos were taken on May 17-18, 2008. (B/W ones taken some years ago.)332 views
|
|
Tekomai geisha304 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri301 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri281 views
|
|
Sanja Matsuri: Not sure if this is a geisha group or a kabuki group.280 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri in front of Sensoji temple.257 views
|
|
On the second day (Sat.) of the Asakusa Sanja Matsuri at noon, numerous mikoshi (portable shrines) gather behind Sensoji temple, and wait their turn to depart for the streets of Asakusa.253 views
|
|
Sanja means "Three Shrines," dedicated to the two fishermen who found the Kannon buddha statue and the wealthy landlord who converted them to Buddhism. The statue became the object of worship that founded Sensoji Temple.246 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri244 views
|
|
Golden Dragon Dance (Kinryu no Mai).229 views
|
|
White Heron Dance (Shirasagi no Mai).216 views
|
|
The mikoshi passes under Kaminarimon Gate, a symbol of Asakusa. The giant red lantern is collapsed upward to make room.215 views
|
|
Never too busy for a phone call.210 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri176 views
|
|
Taiko drummer169 views
|
|
A higher view.168 views
|
|
The same man some years before??167 views
|
|
162 views
|
|
162 views
|
|
Mikoshi drummer158 views
|
|
Festivals are tiring.158 views
|
|
Mikoshi and the infamous beer sculpture.158 views
|
|
Dolls representing three of Asakusa's most famous festivals appear. This is Sanja Matsuri. On the right, notice the foreign woman doll with blond hair.154 views
|
|
From 12:30 pm, amid a sea of people, the mikoshi leave one after another. 観音本堂裏広場に集合148 views
|
|
A sea of people in front of Sensoji temple in the area I call "The Pit."147 views
|
|
Kaminarimon-dori road during Sanja Matsuri146 views
|
|
A mikoshi in front of Asakusa Shrine.141 views
|
|
Above the Asakusa Tourist Information Center is this clock which opens and chimes every hour. This clock is no more since a new building for the tourist information center opened in April 2012.141 views
|
|
The mikoshi is brought in front of Sensoji temple one after another from all directions.133 views
|
|
Mikoshi bearers129 views
|
|
Kaminarimon-dori road is closed to traffic during the festival. Unlike other Asakusa festival processions, there is no parade route. The whole area is teeming with portable shrines. Kaminarimon-dori, Nakamise arcade, and Sensoji temple are main areas.128 views
|
|
The mikoshi come from over 40 neighborhoods of Asakusa. 氏子各町神輿連合渡御、発進126 views
|
|
126 views
|
|
Drunkard on street123 views
|
|
They are deified by Asakusa Shrine next to Sensoji Temple. The festival's formal name is Asakusa Jinja Reitaisai. The festival's formal name is Asakusa Jinja Reitaisai.121 views
|
|
120 views
|
|
Asakusa Shrine also has a stage for various entertainment such as an Asakusa geisha dance.120 views
|
|
118 views
|
|
This is what it looks like at the ground level in "the pit."117 views
|
|
The Sanja Festival is known to have many yakuza gangsters participating. However, I hardly saw any this year. Perhaps because the three Sanja mikoshi were not paraded this year and they could not ride on it half naked. Or they were all covered up.116 views
|
|
114 views
|
|
Asakusa Sanja Festival114 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
Tekomai hairstyle111 views
|
|
Quite a few women carried the mikoshi too.110 views
|
|
109 views
|
|
109 views
|
|
This mikoshi is heading to the front of Sensoji temple. I followed them.109 views
|
|
|
108 views
|
|
A sea of people.107 views
|
|
Heading to the front of Sensoji temple.107 views
|
|
Panoramic shot of a mikoshi n front of Kaminarimon Gate. I was in a tight squeeze during this shot, mixed in with the mikoshi bearers.107 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
Festival music (drums and flute).105 views
|
|
The three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines dedicated to the three fishermen who founded the Kannon statue. Unfortunately, the parading of these mikoshi was canceled this year (2008) because people always stood on the beams to ride on it.104 views
|
|
Phoenix atop the mikoshi roof.103 views
|
|
103 views
|
|
Headband103 views
|
|
Nakamise shopping arcade.103 views
|
|
Some foreigners also carry the mikoshi.103 views
|
|
102 views
|
|
100 views
|
|
They receive their blessings, then leave.100 views
|
|
100 views
|
|
What it looks like from the left side of Sensoji temple.100 views
|
|
Float for festival music.100 views
|
|
Mikoshi passing through Asakusa Shrine, right next to Sensoji temple.100 views
|
|
100 views
|
|
One funny old man took his bicycle right through the crowd. He was soon escorted out.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
The mikoshi rests too.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
Left side of Sensoji temple, in "the pit."98 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
And taiko drumming.98 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
People are not supposed to stand on the mikoshi.98 views
|
|
Ladies with flower hats98 views
|
|
On the left, the mikoshi navigator refers to his festival map and schedule.98 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
This is what it looks like in front of Sensoji temple.97 views
|
|
Mikoshi also depart the left side of Sensoji temple.97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
The mikoshi also leave Sensoji temple and head to the Nakamise shopping arcade.97 views
|
|
After passing through Hozomon Gate, they enter Nakamise shopping arcade.97 views
|
|
Nakamise shopping arcade97 views
|
|
"OK mom, I'll pick up the bread, milk, cereal, and natto after this festival is over."97 views
|
|
Mikoshi for the kids too.97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
Storehouse for the three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines.97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
Heading down Nakamise shopping arcade.96 views
|
|
Worshippers line up to pray at Asakusa Shrine.96 views
|
|
96 views
|
|
OK, break time is over and they pick up the mikoshi.96 views
|
|
What it looks like when you carry the mikoshi.96 views
|
|
The Sanja Matsuri also includes a small but photogenic procession of geisha. Tekomai geisha lead a small group of geisha and other characters.96 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
Asakusa Shrine torii.95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
Police watch the crowd on Kaminarimon-dori95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
Geisha95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.95 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
The geisha group at Hozomon Gate.94 views
|
|
Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
Tekomai geisha94 views
|
|
Meanwhile, inside Sensoji temple, worshippers who managed to squeeze through the crowds go inside the temple to pray.93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.93 views
|
|
They look pretty anyway.93 views
|
|
Heading to Hozomon Gate.92 views
|
|
92 views
|
|
92 views
|
|
Passing through Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.92 views
|
|
Behind us was also a big crowd.92 views
|
|
92 views
|
|
91 views
|
|
91 views
|
|
Area in front of Kaminarimon Gate91 views
|
|
Ice cream break.91 views
|
|
Crowded even along Nakamise shopping arcade's back alley.91 views
|
|
90 views
|
|
90 views
|
|
Passing through Kaminarimon Gate.90 views
|
|
Under Kaminarimon Gate.90 views
|
|
I caught up with the geisha procession.90 views
|
|
89 views
|
|
89 views
|
|
Passing through Kaminarimon Gate. This group is from Kaminarimon.88 views
|
|
87 views
|
|
Taking a break in front of Kaminarimon Gate.86 views
|
|
86 views
|
|
|
|
