 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.448 views
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Sanja Festival422 views
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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.)348 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri344 views
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Tekomai geisha340 views
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Sanja Matsuri: Japanese buyo dance troupe from Muneyama-ryu (宗山流).322 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri in front of Sensoji temple.304 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri302 views
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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.293 views
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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.293 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri291 views
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Never too busy for a phone call.257 views
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The mikoshi passes under Kaminarimon Gate, a symbol of Asakusa. The giant red lantern is collapsed upward to make room.252 views
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Golden Dragon Dance (Kinryu no Mai).246 views
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White Heron Dance (Shirasagi no Mai).238 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri192 views
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Taiko drummer190 views
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A higher view.184 views
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The same man some years before??182 views
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Mikoshi drummer177 views
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Mikoshi and the infamous beer sculpture.177 views
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Festivals are tiring.175 views
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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.171 views
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Kaminarimon-dori road during Sanja Matsuri169 views
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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167 views
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A sea of people in front of Sensoji temple in the area I call "The Pit."165 views
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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 2012.164 views
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A mikoshi in front of Asakusa Shrine.156 views
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The mikoshi is brought in front of Sensoji temple one after another from all directions.148 views
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Mikoshi bearers144 views
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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.143 views
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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.143 views
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The mikoshi come from over 40 neighborhoods of Asakusa. 氏子各町神輿連合渡御、発進141 views
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Drunkard on street139 views
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Asakusa Shrine also has a stage for various entertainment such as the Asakusa Furisode (浅草振袖) kimono entertainment troupe. They are not geisha, only dressed in kimono and traditional hairstyle.137 views
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This is what it looks like at the ground level in "the pit."132 views
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This mikoshi is heading to the front of Sensoji temple. I followed them.132 views
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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.132 views
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Asakusa Sanja Festival129 views
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Tekomai hairstyle129 views
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128 views
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A sea of people.126 views
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126 views
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126 views
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126 views
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126 views
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Heading to the front of Sensoji temple.125 views
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Japanese dance troupe from Muneyama-ryu (宗山流) based in Asakusa. Also see my video at YouTube.125 views
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Quite a few women carried the mikoshi too.124 views
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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.124 views
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Phoenix atop the mikoshi roof.121 views
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Left side of Sensoji temple, in "the pit."119 views
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Festival music (drums and flute).119 views
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The mikoshi rests too.119 views
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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.118 views
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117 views
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The mikoshi also leave Sensoji temple and head to the Nakamise shopping arcade.117 views
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After passing through Hozomon Gate, they enter Nakamise shopping arcade.117 views
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On the left, the mikoshi navigator refers to his festival map and schedule.117 views
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What it looks like from the left side of Sensoji temple.116 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade116 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade.116 views
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Some foreigners also carry the mikoshi.116 views
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Dressed in kimono is a Japanese buyo dance troupe from Muneyama-ryu 宗山流.116 views
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Dressed in kimono is a Japanese buyo dance troupe from Muneyama-ryu 宗山流.116 views
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Headband115 views
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Mikoshi for the kids too.115 views
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Float for festival music.115 views
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They receive their blessings, then leave.114 views
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Heading down Nakamise shopping arcade.114 views
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OK, break time is over and they pick up the mikoshi.114 views
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This is what it looks like in front of Sensoji temple.113 views
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113 views
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Meanwhile, inside Sensoji temple, worshippers who managed to squeeze through the crowds go inside the temple to pray.112 views
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One funny old man took his bicycle right through the crowd. He was soon escorted out.112 views
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Mikoshi passing through Asakusa Shrine, right next to Sensoji temple.112 views
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Storehouse for the three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines.112 views
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People are not supposed to stand on the mikoshi.112 views
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Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.112 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.112 views
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Mikoshi also depart the left side of Sensoji temple.111 views
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111 views
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111 views
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And taiko drumming.111 views
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111 views
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What it looks like when you carry the mikoshi.111 views
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111 views
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Tekomai geisha111 views
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"OK mom, I'll pick up the bread, milk, cereal, and natto after this festival is over."110 views
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Heading to Hozomon Gate.110 views
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Worshippers line up to pray at Asakusa Shrine.110 views
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110 views
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Japanese buyo dancer based in Asakusa.110 views
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Ladies with flower hats110 views
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The Sanja Matsuri also includes a small but photogenic procession of geisha. Tekomai geisha lead a small group of geisha and other characters.110 views
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Asakusa Shrine torii.109 views
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Police watch the crowd on Kaminarimon-dori109 views
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Passing through Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.109 views
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Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.109 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.109 views
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They look pretty anyway.109 views
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Under Kaminarimon Gate.108 views
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Crowded even along Nakamise shopping arcade's back alley.107 views
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I caught up with the geisha procession.107 views
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Behind us was also a big crowd.106 views
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Dressed in kimono is a Japanese buyo dance troupe from Muneyama-ryu 宗山流.106 views
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The geisha group at Hozomon Gate.105 views
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Area in front of Kaminarimon Gate104 views
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Passing through Kaminarimon Gate. This group is from Kaminarimon.104 views
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Ice cream break.103 views
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Passing through Kaminarimon Gate.103 views
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Taking a break in front of Kaminarimon Gate.101 views
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