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
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Sanja Festival381 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.)332 views
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Tekomai geisha303 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri300 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri281 views
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Sanja Matsuri: Not sure if this is a geisha group or a kabuki group.280 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri in front of Sensoji temple.256 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.252 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.245 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri243 views
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Golden Dragon Dance (Kinryu no Mai).229 views
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White Heron Dance (Shirasagi no Mai).216 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.214 views
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Never too busy for a phone call.209 views
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Asakusa Sanja Matsuri175 views
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Taiko drummer169 views
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A higher view.168 views
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The same man some years before??166 views
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Mikoshi drummer158 views
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Festivals are tiring.157 views
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Mikoshi and the infamous beer sculpture.157 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.152 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148 views
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A sea of people in front of Sensoji temple in the area I call "The Pit."147 views
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Kaminarimon-dori road during Sanja Matsuri146 views
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A mikoshi in front of Asakusa Shrine.140 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 2012.140 views
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The mikoshi is brought in front of Sensoji temple one after another from all directions.133 views
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Mikoshi bearers129 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.127 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125 views
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Drunkard on street122 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.121 views
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Asakusa Shrine also has a stage for various entertainment such as an Asakusa geisha dance.119 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.116 views
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This is what it looks like at the ground level in "the pit."115 views
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Asakusa Sanja Festival113 views
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Tekomai hairstyle110 views
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This mikoshi is heading to the front of Sensoji temple. I followed them.109 views
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Quite a few women carried the mikoshi too.109 views
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A sea of people.107 views
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Heading to the front of Sensoji temple.107 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.107 views
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Festival music (drums and flute).104 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.104 views
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Some foreigners also carry the mikoshi.103 views
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Headband102 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade.102 views
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Phoenix atop the mikoshi roof.101 views
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They receive their blessings, then leave.100 views
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Float for festival music.100 views
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Mikoshi passing through Asakusa Shrine, right next to Sensoji temple.100 views
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What it looks like from the left side of Sensoji temple.99 views
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One funny old man took his bicycle right through the crowd. He was soon escorted out.99 views
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The mikoshi rests too.99 views
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And taiko drumming.98 views
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People are not supposed to stand on the mikoshi.98 views
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Ladies with flower hats98 views
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Left side of Sensoji temple, in "the pit."97 views
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This is what it looks like in front of Sensoji temple.97 views
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After passing through Hozomon Gate, they enter Nakamise shopping arcade.97 views
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"OK mom, I'll pick up the bread, milk, cereal, and natto after this festival is over."97 views
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Storehouse for the three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines.97 views
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Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.97 views
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On the left, the mikoshi navigator refers to his festival map and schedule.97 views
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97 views
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97 views
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Mikoshi also depart the left side of Sensoji temple.96 views
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The mikoshi also leave Sensoji temple and head to the Nakamise shopping arcade.96 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade96 views
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Mikoshi for the kids too.96 views
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Heading down Nakamise shopping arcade.95 views
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Worshippers line up to pray at Asakusa Shrine.95 views
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Asakusa Shrine torii.95 views
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OK, break time is over and they pick up the mikoshi.95 views
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What it looks like when you carry the mikoshi.95 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.95 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.95 views
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Police watch the crowd on Kaminarimon-dori94 views
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Tekomai geisha94 views
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Meanwhile, inside Sensoji temple, worshippers who managed to squeeze through the crowds go inside the temple to pray.93 views
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Geisha93 views
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Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.93 views
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They look pretty anyway.93 views
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Heading to Hozomon Gate.92 views
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Passing through Nakamise shopping arcade, heading to Sensoji temple.92 views
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The geisha group at Hozomon Gate.92 views
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Ice cream break.91 views
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Heading for Kaminarimon Gate.91 views
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Behind us was also a big crowd.91 views
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Area in front of Kaminarimon Gate90 views
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Crowded even along Nakamise shopping arcade's back alley.90 views
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Passing through Kaminarimon Gate.90 views
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I caught up with the geisha procession.90 views
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Under Kaminarimon Gate.89 views
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Passing through Kaminarimon Gate. This group is from Kaminarimon.86 views
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Taking a break in front of Kaminarimon Gate.85 views
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