Asakusa Sanja Boat Procession 浅草三社祭斎行700年祭舟渡御

Home > TOKYO 東京都 > Asakusa 浅草 > Asakusa Sanja Boat Procession 浅草三社祭斎行700年祭舟渡御

Asakusa Sanja Boat Procession 浅草三社祭斎行700年祭舟渡御

To mark the 700th anniversary of Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival in 2012, a boat procession was held on Sumida River on March 18, 2012. The last time they did this was in 1958.

The three portable shrines were first carried from Asakusa Shrine to neighboring Sensoji temple on March 17 where it stayed overnight. On the 18th, they were carried outside and a procession around Asakusa was held.

I went to see the procession on March 18, 2012. Golden Dragon standing by to join the procession.

The Golden Dragon takes after the "Golden Dragon Mountain" mountain name of Sensoji temple. 金龍山

Chigo children standing by in front of Hozomon Gate. 宝蔵門

Paper lantern out of the way at Hozomon Gate. 宝蔵門

In front of Sensoji temple at Hozomon Gate, two portable shrines stand by.

Making room for the third portable shrine.

The third portable shrine is moved into position at Hozomon Gate (宝蔵門) for the procession to start at 10:10 am.

All three mikoshi (portable shrines) ready to go at Hozomon Gate. 宝蔵門

Festival musicians on a cart at Hozomon Gate. 宝蔵門

Golden Dragon makes its way down Nakamise arcade.

Asakusa geisha on a cart.

Asakusa geisha

Sensoji's Golden Dragon standing by.

Sanja banners.

Sarutahiko-no-Okami

Asakusa Shrine priest.

Festival musicians

Kiyari workmen singers.

Year 628: Two fishermen brothers find a golden Kannon buddha statue in Sumida River. The two fishermen were Hinokuma no Hamanari and Takenari. A wealthy landowner named Hajinomatsuchi heard about the statue and told the brothers about its religious value.

Ichinomiya mikoshi or portable shrine No. 1. The biggest of the three.

Ninomiya mikoshi or portable shrine No. 2.

Sannomiya mikoshi. "Three Shrines," dedicated to the two fishermen brothers who found the Kannon buddha statue in Sumida River which became the object of worship that founded Sensoji Temple.

Sannomiya or No. 3 mikoshi. The third mikoshi is dedicated to the wealthy landowner who converted the fishermen brothers to Buddhism and helped to establish Sensoji.

The procession on land went completely around Asakusa from 10:10 am to 12:30 pm.

The procession was led by the White Heron Dancers (Shirasagi-no-Mai).

This is the baton twirler (bo-furi 棒ふり) in orange pants followed by the bird feeder.

The bird feeder.

White Heron Dancers.

White Heron Dancers. They didn't dance during the procession.

Musicians

Sarutahiko

Sarutahiko's footwear.

Samurai

Chigo children

Another samurai.

Tekomai geisha dragged a metal cane.

Tekomai geisha weren't in sync.

Ichinomiya portable shrine, followed by the two other mikoshi.

Ninomiya mikoshi

Sannomiya mikoshi

Tokyo Sky Tree is clearly visible from Asakusa.

The dock on Sumida River where the portable shrines will be loaded onto a boat.

Patrol boats stand by. There was a lot of security on the river for this procession.

A flattop barge arrives, decorated for the festival.

A tugboat hauls a flat barge to the dock.

Barge docking at Higashi Sando Sanbashi Pier. 東参道桟橋

A large crowd turned out to see this rare event in Asakusa. Sacred boat processions are not unusual in Japan though. Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka is a large boat procession.

Ichinomiya portable shrine arrives and carefully makes it way down the narrow stairway.

Carrying Ichinomiya to the boat.

The barge carrying the three portable shrines were to have a few escort boats.

This escort boat carried the gods of good fortune.

This boat carried the White Heron Dancers too.

This boat carried Asakusa geisha.

This boat carried the Sensoji temple priest and Asakusa Shrine priest. Nice to see Buddhists and Shintoists together.

Sensoji temple priest and Asakusa Shrine priest on a boat.

Departing the dock with this tug pushing and another pulling.

And the mikoshi are off on its first boat procession in 54 years.

First they headed north to Sakura-bashi Bridge, then went south all the way to Ryogoku.

Large crowds lined the Sumida River banks.

Guide boat. They sailed to Ryogoku and back.

Tobu train line and Tokyo Sky Tree.

Priests on the lead boat.

Flat barge with the three mikoshi cruising on the Sumida River. It has been 54 years since the last time this boat procession was held in 1958.

To mark the 700th anniversary of Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival in 2012, a boat procession was held on Sumida River on March 18, 2012.

The last time they did this was in 1958. The original Sanja Matsuri was actually a boat procession on Sumida River held in March 1312 (Kamakura Period).

To reenact the boat procession, they had to work with very few records of the last time it was held in 1958. Only a few photos remained. In 1958, each mikoshi was carried by a separate boat.

They cruised all the way to Ryogoku Bridge.

Boat carrying Golden Dragon. They didn't dance on the boat.

Boat carrying gods of good fortune and White Heron Dancers.

Gods of Good Fortune on a boat.

White Heron Dancers on a boat.

Geisha boat.

Spectator boats.

Yakata-bune boat

Police

Where the mikoshi went, the crowd followed. They headed for Komagata Bridge where the boats would return.

Waiting on Komagata Bridge where the three mikoshi would return from the river.

Carts for the three mikoshi on Komagata Bridge, not far from Asakusa.

Police boat

Boats reach Komagata Bridge, the end of the boat procession.

Going under Komagata Bridge.

The mikoshi barge docks near Komagata Bridge.

The mikoshi are carried back.

Where the mikoshi go, the crowds follow.

Intersection near Komagata Bridge.

The mikoshi is placed in front of Komagata-do, a small temple for a Buddhist prayer ceremony.

After the mikoshi arrived back from the cruise, they held a service at this small worship hall called the Komagata-do. This marks the spot where the original Kannon statue was first worshipped before it was moved to Sensoji.