#SANJA MATSURI

[city-cost]

Sanja Matsuri 2023

Parading of around 100 neighborhood association mikoshi shrines for first time in 4 years drew plenty of plenty of people to Asakusa, Saturday.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

It is Sanja Matsuri (Three Shrine Festival) in Asakusa in Tokyo this weekend. It is said to be “infamous as a place where one can see yakuza openly participating in a festival and flaunting their elaborate tattoos.” I wonder if Lily would make a rendition of it, Buddy Daddies style.

On the other hand, I don’t think so because it is in Tokyo.

[nobu11051991]

May information 2024!

May information 2024! Hi I’m Nobu, I like traveling overseas and in Japan, visited 26 countries! I’m a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter of English for 10 years. For the people who are interested in and planning trip to Japan ,I show you hidden local information which you have never seen and heard of through books and ordinary site! You will find unexpected fun through my…

[sana-yan]

@seiya_sanada

年ぶりの 「三社祭」 に参加させていただきました。 #三社祭 for the first time in years i participated in the "sanja festival." (unofficial translation)

[yama-bato]

Magers, Michael (1976 - Present)

Sanja Matsuri, 2016-2017

[yusix13]

Sanja Matsuri Festival @Asakusa TOKYO

[tamapalace]

The Sanja Festival (三社祭, Sanja Matsuri) is an annual festival in the Asakusa district that usually takes place over the third full weekend in May. It is held in celebration of the three founders of Sensoji Temple, who are enshrined in Asakusa Shrine next door to the temple.

[blanketorghost]

「I'll make you the hero of your own story...」

Ok so Malleus trapped everyone in an alt reality/dream world where everyone is happy, right?

Ok so what if WHAT IF

The dream worlds have all the child NRC students inside a childhood dream with a fairytale twist to it?

We do have child (silhouette) sprites of most students, esp the overblottees, so WHY NOT get the child reveal??

Also you have to fight the children. 🫡

I want to draw all of the NRC kids/overblot squad with this imagery in mind but since I'm in a Yuu backstory funk, he is the first doodle I did of his own fantasy world.

This is an altered memory of Yuu's with his two best friends— Junji Onigawara and Nana Sakurai— during the Sanja matsuri when he was 10 years old.

Yuu often could only experience festivals as a performer, so being able to spend the last day of Sanja with his only two friends at the time was very meaningful to him.

Junji and Nana are from Yuu's neighborhood and therefore are from lower-income households; Junji being the son of divorced parents and Nana the oldest of 5 siblings in a single-income household. Even though the class disparity was so obvious between the three, they would become life-long friends.

Not being able to do anything to help his friends and family was something that weighed heavily on his mind, and as such, he used to spend the allowance his grandparents gave him on other people instead.

So I think that in this perfect fantasy world Malleus creates, he would give Yuu the chance to splurge and give everyone what they wished for but couldnt have because of money issues; from the pretty kansashi and yukata Nana always gushed about to the overpriced festival food Junji used to drool over.

Looking back, it's a very childish wish to have— thinking he could solve the financial rift between himself and his friends with just one good night, but at least he can dream.

Id like to think his own little fantasy world would be modeled after Momotarō, with Idia + gang being the titular characters while the festival is a version of Onigashima, given I relate each of the kids with a type of Yōkai (Yuu=Kitsune/Floral, Junji=Oni/Water, Nana=Nekomata/Fire).

Nana and Junji would work as mini-bosses for the area, whilst Yuu would be the final boss (which was looking for a "strange-looking cat").

I also think that their fighting styles would be reminiscent of traditional japanese/festival games like Otedama/Temari for Nana, Hanetsuki/Kingyo sukui for Junji and Tohsenkyo/Shateki for Yuu.

I also thought that they'd keep their masks until they're defeated!

I still dont know if I want them to have their grown-up designs for fighting or if I will literally just make Idia beat up some kids but I'll think about that later jdbcfj

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.21

Holidays

Afro-Colombian Day (Colombia)

Agricultural Fair Day

Anti-Terrorism Day (India)

Battle of Iquique Anniversary Day (Chile)

Capitol Build Day (New York)

Circassian Day of Mourning

Daylilly Day (French Republic)

Day of Patriots and Military (Hungary)

Emergency Medical Services Day

EMS Health, Wellness & Resilience Day

End of the World Day

Feast of the Triple Scoop

521 Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Hug Your Interior Designer Day

Hummel Day (a.k.a. Sister Maria Hummel Day)

"I Need A Patch For That" Day

International Day of Statistical Literacy

Journée Nationale des Patriotes (National Patriots' Day; Quebec)

Keanu Reeves Day

Lilies and Roses Day (UK)

National American Red Cross Founder’s Day

National Mamey Day

National Memo Day

National Talk Like Yoda Day

Natura 2000 Day (EU)

Navy Day (Chile)

Passion Play Day (Germany)

Pogo Stick Day

Polar Explorer’s Day (Russia)

Purple Star of Jerusalem Day (a.k.a. Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon)

Rapture Party Day (2011 prediction by Harold Camping)

Recommerce Day

Red Cross Day

Saint Helena Day (Saint Helena)

Sanja Matsuri begins (Tokyo, Japan)

Send a Letter Day

Slap a Patch On It Day

United States Cyber Command Day

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (UN)

World Fish Migration Day

World Meditation Day (UK)

World Tree Kangaroo Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Tea Day [also 12.15]

International Tennessee Whiskey Day

National Mourvèdre Day

National Waitstaff Day (a.k.a. Waiters and Waitresses Day)

Strawberries and Cream Day

World Chardonnay Day

Independence & Related Days

Malabon (City Founded; Philippines)

Montenegro (from Serbia, 2006)

New Zealand (Proclaimed a British Colony; 1840)

Southwest Vineland (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Valentia Riqueza and Grandeza (a.k.a. ValeVRG; Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

3rd Tuesday in May

International Dinosaur Day [3rd Tuesday; also 6.1]

National Stop Nausea Day [3rd Tuesday]

Sex Differences in Health Awareness Day [3rd Tuesday]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Festivals Beginning May 21, 2024

The Batch Festival (Bath, UK) [thru 5.26]

Sommeliers Choice Awards (Chicago, Illinois)

Feast Days

Adílio Daronch and Manuel Gómez González (Christian; Saint)

Agonalia (Ancient Rome) [also 1.9 & 12.11]

Albrecht Dürer (Artology)

Alexander Pope (Writerism)

Anastenaria (Fire-Walking Ritual; Ancient Greece)

Andrew Bobola (Christian; Martyr)

Arcangelo Tadini (Christian; Saint)

Chen Dayu (Artology)

Christopher Magallanes, and other Saints of the Cristero War (Christian; Saint)

Day of the Twins: Beginning of Gemini (Astrology/Pagan)

Édouard-Henri Avril (Artology)

Emperor Constantine I (Christian; Saint)

Eugène de Mazenod (Christian; Saint)

Felix of Cantalicio (Christian; Saint)

Festival for Vevodus (God of the Dead, Swamps & Volvanic Movements; Ancient Rome)

Festival of Demeter (Greek Barley Mother Goddess)

Festival of Vejovis (Roman God of Healing)

42 Day (Pastafarian)

Franz Jägerstätter (Christian; Saint)

Free Money Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Godrick of Finkley (Christian; Saint)

Green Four-Net (Muppetism)

Harold Robbins (Writerism)

Helena of Constantinople (a.k.a. "Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles,” Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion)

Henri Rousseau (Artology)

Hospitius (Christian; Saint)

John Elliot (Episcopal Church)

Nestinarstvo (Fire-Walking Ritual; Ancient Bulgaria)

Nost-na-Lothion (Elven feast for the birth of flowers; Lord of the Rings)

Ponder Pointlessness Day (Pastafarian)

Rudolf Koller (Artology)

Saint Camping’s Day (Discordian)

St. Luke (Positivist; Saint)

Theophilus of Corte (Christian; Saint)

Hebrew Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown]

Pesach Sheni (2nd Passover) [13-14 Iyar]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 24 of 60)

Premieres

Agents of Fortune, by Blue Oyster Cult (Album; 1976)

Alison, by Elvis Costello (Song; 1977)

Annie (Film; 1982)

The Conquest of Everest, by John Hurt (Memoir; 1954)

Curtain Razor (WB LT Cartoon; 1949)

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (Film; 1982)

The Deep Blue Good-By, by John D. MacDonald (Novel; 1964)

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Silent Film; 1908)

The Egg Hunt (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1940)

The Foxy Pup (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1937)

Gimme All Your Lovin’, by ZZ Top (Music Video; 1983)

Godzilla vs. Kong (Film; 2021)

Gypsy (Broadway Musical; 1959)

Hassle in a Castle (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1966)

Hot Shots! Part Deux (Film; 1993)

Injun Trouble (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

I Sing the Body Electric! & Other Stories, by Ray Bradbury (Short Stories; 1969)

Lunch Poems, by Frank O'Hara (Poetry; 1963)

Mad Max 2 (Film; 1982)

Mask of Orpheus, by Harrison Birtwistle (Opera; 1986)

Maybellene, recorded by Chuck Berry (Song; 1955)

McCartney II, by Paul McCartney (Album; 1980)

Mouse for Sale (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1955)

Naked Came the Stranger (Adult Film; 1975)

Notting Hill (Film; 1999)

Ohio, by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Song; 1970)

The Optimist's Daughter, by Eudora Welty (Novella; 1972)

Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo (Opera; 1892)

Past Perfumance (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be, sung by Doris Day (Song; 1956)

The Real World (TV Series; 1992)

The Return of the Pink Panther (Film; 1975)

The Rhinemann Exchange, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1974)

Riptide, by Vance Joy (Song; 2013)

The Road Warrior (Film; 1982)

The Secret of the Hittites, by C.W. Ceram (History Book; 1956)

Shrek Forever After (Animated Film; 2010)

Snow Excuse (WB MM Cartoon; 1966)

Sour, by Olivia Rodrigo (Album; 2021)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (UK Film; 1980)

Terminator Salvation (Film; 2009)

Touch of Evil (Film; 1958)

Twin Peaks: The Return (TV Series; 2017)

The Twisker Pitcher (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

Under the Boardwalk, recorded by The Drifters (Song; 1964)

What’s Going On, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1971)

Today’s Name Days

Christoph, Constantin, Josef, Julio (Austria)

Elena, Konstantin, Kosta, Kostadin, Kostadinka, Lenko, Stoyan (Bulgaria)

Dubravka, Eugen, Kristofor (Croatia)

Monika (Czech Republic)

Helene (Denmark)

Kindel, Konstantin, Kostel, Tiino (Estonia)

Konsta, Konstantin, Kosti (Finland)

Constantin (France)

Hermann, Konst, Wiltrud (Germany)

Constantine, Constantina, Elena, Elene, Eleni, Helen, Konstantina, Konstantinos, Lena, Nantia (Greece)

Konstantin (Hungary)

Angelo, Giulia, Vittorio (Italy)

Ernestine, Ingmārs, Vinija (Latvia)

Vaidivutis, Valentas, Vydmina (Lithuania)

Eli, Ellen, Helene (Norway)

Donat, Donata, Jan, Kryspin, Przecława, Pudens, Tymoteusz, Walenty, Wiktor, Wiktoriusz (Poland)

Constantin, Elena (România)

Zina (Slovakia)

Cristóbal, Virginia (Spain)

Conny, Konstantin (Sweden)

Constance, Constantine, Helen (Ukraine)

Adelric, Adiel, Audric, Keaton, Kendrick (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 142 of 2024; 224 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 21 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 14 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 13 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 13 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 22 Magenta; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 8 May 2024

Moon: 96%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 1 St. Paul (6th Month) [St. Luke]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 64 of 92)

Week: 3rd Full Week of May

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 1 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Gemini (The Twins) begins [Zodiac Sign 3; thru 6.21]

Saint Paul (Catholicism) [Month 6 of 13; Positivist]

[luke-r-gillespie]

May 18 - Akihabara / Sanja Festival (Freeday) + Academic Reflection

Freewriting

Today I woke up at 9 (which is the best part about free days) before packing all of my clothes back into my suitcase to send off to Kyoto. As today was my final day in Tokyo, I wanted to do everything that I hadn't yet gotten a chance to do. So for an early lunch, I walked into Akihabara with Zachary where we ate gyoza and fries (unsurprisingly delicious.)

After lunch, we walked around Akihabara and looked in some cool stores, my favorite of which sold extremely rare and high end Pokémon cards (obviously no purchases were made.) Our last stop in Akihabara was a 7 story arcade where we played the rhythm game MaiMai which involves hitting buttons on and around a large circle screen on beats that coincide with the selected song. It was a lot of fun but I kept losing to Zachary by only a few points so I'll just have to lock in next time we play.

Leaving the arcade, we caught a train to Asakusa from Suehirocho station. We met up with Ren at a Starbucks just outside of Asakusa Kannon Sensoji (the massive temple that we had previously visited on our first day in Tokyo.) I came here today to attend the Sanja Festival, which takes place over the course of three days at Asakusa Kannon Sensoji. This is one of the most popular annual festivals in Tokyo, brining in around two million people over the course of the three day event. The entire city of Asakusa was lively and dressed for the occasion. It was a really cool thing to be able to experience while here and I even got to see large groups parading carts (carts are large and heavy portable shrines) through the streets.

Seeing the community of Asakusa come together in this way to celebrate the three founders of Sensoji temple was amazing. After spending a little over an hour participating in the festivities, Zachary and I walked around Asakusa, stopping to look in some stores. I bought a new pair of earrings (sorry mom) before we stopped at a cat cafe for ten minutes which absolutely lived up to the hype (spiritually healing experience.) Our last stop in Asakusa was a local sushi place which was both delicious and very affordable.

After leaving Asakusa, I returned to the hotel to rest up before our journey to Kyoto tomorrow but I think I will be leaving to go to Round 1 soon with the lads (Round 1 is an entertainment chain that has an arcade/ bowling/ batting cage/ and everything else you could want!)

Independent Excursion: Academic Reflection (Sanja Matsuri)

For my final free day in Tokyo, I returned to Asakusa to attend the 2024 Sanja Matsuri (Matsuri meaning festival). The Sanja Matsuri has been held annually in Asakusa since the Edo period and is an extremely well known event throughout all of Japan. The Sanja Matsuri is held to honor the "three men" who founded Senso-ji temple (Sanja directly translates to three people.) The three founders are two fisherman brothers, named Hamanari Hinokuma and Takenari Hinokuma and a village cheif, named Nakatomo Hajino.

In order to learn more about Sanja Matsuri for my academic reflection, I selected and analyzed the reading, Script and Score: Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri - Japan by Ray Lucas. This reading is a section from Architecture, Festival and the City with an emphasis on the architectural and anthropological factors of Sanja Matsuri in relation to the festival's traditions and history.

Within the reading, Lucas discusses the "collapse of various strata of social and spiritual life into the space of the city" in relation to the culture surrounding Sanja Matsuri. Lucas is referencing how diverse the cast of participants and practitioners of the Sanja Matsuri can be. Within the reading, he points this out by mentioning how the Tengu (Japanese mountain goblin) walks around Asakusa alongside priests and geishas, who can be seen with blue collar workers (such as fisherman and carpenters.) These are aspects of Japanese society that typically see little to no overlap, but at the Sanja Matsuri everyone comes together as equals to celebrate the annual festival and the founders of Senso-ji (Senso temple.) This was not something that I had realized while at the festival, but in hindsight this diversity and intermingling of different facets of Japanese society was definitely present. For example, the parishioners carrying the portable shrines were of all different ages and walks of life. However, they were all equally involved and invested in the festival. Additionally, there were even smaller portable shrines being carried around by kids, assisted by an adult when needed (it was really cute.) This level of across the board involvement is what Lucas was referencing in the selected reading.

Within the reading, Lucas gets this point across by employing a number of different methods. By utilizing maps, drawings and photographs, Lucas is able to drive his point home in an effective and convincing manner. One area that I felt Lucas did a really great job explaining with these methods was the outfits worn by those involved in the festival. The outfits are described as stiff or rigid and Lucas challenges this based on some of the poses depicted in historic drawings of the festival. I found this reading to be very interesting and it enhanced my enjoyment of the festival after the fact.

Lucas, Ray. “Script and Score Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri – Japan .” Essay. In Architecture, Festival and the City, 81–96. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2019.

[aboji-aboji]

Matsuri 2017

#Japanese tradition festival

#三社祭2017

#sanja festival

#sanjamatsuri

#large queue

#black and white

#monochrome

#egret dance

[khamphanhatbannet]

Điểm qua 10 lễ hội Nhật Bản được yêu thích nhất trong năm

Nhật Bản, xứ sở của những truyền thống độc đáo và phong cảnh tuyệt đẹp, thu hút hàng triệu du khách mỗi năm nhờ vào sự phong phú trong văn hóa lễ hội. Mỗi lễ hội không chỉ là dịp để người dân kỷ niệm mà còn là cơ hội để du khách trải nghiệm và tìm hiểu sâu sắc về bản sắc văn hóa của đất nước này. Dưới đây là 10 lễ hội Nhật Bản không thể bỏ qua.

1. Lễ hội Hoa Anh Đào (Hanami)

Lễ hội hoa anh đào, hay Hanami, diễn ra từ đầu tháng 3 đến cuối tháng 4. Đây là dịp để mọi người tụ tập dưới những tán cây anh đào nở rộ, cùng nhau thưởng thức đồ ăn và rượu sake, tạo nên những khoảnh khắc sum họp đáng nhớ. Các địa điểm nổi tiếng như công viên Ueno ở Tokyo hay công viên Maruyama ở Kyoto là những nơi lý tưởng để tham gia lễ hội này.

2. Lễ hội Sanja Matsuri

Được tổ chức vào cuối tuần thứ ba của tháng 5 tại đền Asakusa, Tokyo, Sanja Matsuri tôn vinh ba vị thần sáng lập ngôi đền. Lễ hội thu hút gần hai triệu du khách với những buổi diễu hành mikoshi hoành tráng và nhiều hoạt động văn hóa truyền thống hấp dẫn.

3. Lễ hội Mừng Năm Mới (Oshougatsu)

Diễn ra từ mùng 1 đến 3 tháng 1, lễ hội Oshougatsu là dịp để người dân Nhật Bản trang trí nhà cửa, thờ cúng tổ tiên và thưởng thức các món ăn truyền thống như bánh Osechi. Đây cũng là thời gian để gia đình sum họp và cầu mong sức khỏe, may mắn cho năm mới.

4. Lễ hội Gion Matsuri

Kéo dài suốt tháng 7 tại Kyoto, Gion Matsuri là một trong những lễ hội lâu đời và quan trọng nhất. Được biết đến với những chiếc kiệu trang trí lộng lẫy và các hoạt động rực rỡ như đám rước, lễ hội này không chỉ thu hút du khách mà còn thể hiện sự tự hào về văn hóa Nhật Bản.

5. Lễ hội Kanto Matsuri

Lễ hội Kanto diễn ra từ 3 đến 6 tháng 8 tại Akita. Đây là lễ hội truyền thống kết hợp biểu diễn nghệ thuật điêu luyện với những chiếc cột Kanto cao 12 mét, nặng tới 50kg. Du khách có thể thưởng thức nhiều món ăn ngon và tham gia vào không khí lễ hội sôi động.

6. Lễ hội Aoi Matsuri

Lễ hội Aoi Matsuri, diễn ra vào ngày 15 tháng 5 tại Kyoto, tái hiện những nghi lễ cổ xưa với đoàn rước khoảng 500 người mặc trang phục thời kỳ Heian. Sự kết hợp giữa truyền thống và trang trọng tạo nên không khí đặc biệt cho lễ hội này.

7. Lễ hội Nagasaki Kunchi

Diễn ra từ 7 đến 9 tháng 10, Nagasaki Kunchi mang đậm bản sắc văn hóa giao thoa giữa Nhật Bản và phương Tây. Các màn biểu diễn múa truyền thống cùng với không khí lễ hội tươi vui tạo nên một trải nghiệm thú vị cho du khách.

8. Lễ hội Tenjin

Lễ hội Tenjin diễn ra tại Osaka vào ngày 24-25 tháng 7, tôn vinh vị thần Tenjin. Đây là cơ hội để người dân cầu nguyện cho sự thành công trong học tập và sự nghiệp, với nhiều hoạt động đặc sắc như diễu hành trên sông Okawa.

9. Lễ hội Tuyết Sapporo

Diễn ra vào tháng 2 hàng năm, lễ hội tuyết Sapporo là một trong những lễ hội đông nhất Nhật Bản, với những tác phẩm điêu khắc bằng băng và tuyết tuyệt đẹp. Du khách có thể tham gia các hoạt động ngoài trời thú vị và thưởng thức ẩm thực địa phương.

10. Lễ hội Awa Odori

Từ 12 đến 15 tháng 8, lễ hội Awa Odori tại Tokushima mang đến những điệu múa truyền thống sôi động. Đây là dịp để thành phố nhỏ trở nên nhộn nhịp, thu hút hàng ngàn du khách hòa mình vào không khí lễ hội vui tươi.

Kết Luận

Mỗi lễ hội tại Nhật Bản không chỉ là một sự kiện mà còn là một phần không thể thiếu trong văn hóa và lịch sử của đất nước. Du khách khi đến Nhật Bản sẽ không chỉ được tham quan những danh lam thắng cảnh mà còn được trải nghiệm những hoạt động phong phú, thể hiện rõ nét văn hóa con người nơi đây. Hãycùng Khám Phá Nhật Bản điểm qua những lễ hội đặc sắc này để cảm nhận sự đa dạng và độc đáo của đất nước mặt trời mọc!

[richs-japan-tabi]

Independent Excursion: Academic Reflection

I chose to go to Sanja Matsuri as an independent excursion, a festival held annually at Sensoji in Asakusa. The festival celebrates the founders of Sensoji and brings over two million people to Asakusa throughout the three-day festival, making it one of the most popular festivals, according to the Japan Guide. [1]

I started my excursion by meeting up with my friend Tomas from my study abroad program last year. Being in the Tokyo Area, it was a great opportunity to meet. We went to UNIQLO first to get some hats since it was sunny. They were pretty comfortable, but they had a weird logo on them.

Once we had got our hats and put on some sunscreen, we went to the festival. We got to the temple early, and when we arrived it was already a bit busy. In the distance, we could see people carrying mikoshi and decided to get a closer look. Mikoshi are vehicles that transport deities from one temple to another. In other words, mikoshi are portable shrines carried between permanent or temporary shrines by people. Since we arrived there early, we saw the parishioners carrying mikoshi close up. As a result, I was able to take some incredible photos.

Men and women of all ages could be seen carrying the mikoshi. We even saw young children carrying smaller mikoshi. A common chant that could be heard as they carried the mikoshi toward us was wasshoi. While chanting, they would also toss or bob the mikoshi up and down. It was really cute to see young children carry the mikoshi and chant wasshoi.

The parishioners also wore special outfits as they carried their mikoshi. I imagine this was to represent which shrine they were representing. Before the festival, I saw a group of men dressed in these outfits drinking outside a Family Mart, which I found amusing. I would probably also want to grab a drink before carrying a mikoshi on such a hot day.

By the time we finished watching the mikoshi, it had become crowded, and we were thirsty and hungry. We left the temple grounds and entered the area filled with yatai, stands that sell food and drinks. I decided to get a homemade carbonated lemonade float which not only satisfied my thirst but also my hunger. As a staple of Japanese festivals, I highly recommend going to food stalls.

Academic Reflection

To further examine Sanja Matsuri, I read Script and Score: Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri - Japan by Ray Lucas. This chapter of Architecture, Festival and the City focuses on the anthropological and architectural aspects of Sanja Matsuri and explains the festival's traditions.

One point of discussion I found interesting in the reading is the "collapse of various strata of social and spiritual life into the space of the city" in festival culture. Lucas points out how while the Tengu walks around: city authorities, priests, and geisha can be seen alongside fishermen and carpenters. [2] I haven't thoroughly considered the diversity and complexity of Japanese festival culture until reading Lucas' work. Reflecting on my experience at the festival, even the parishioners carrying the mikoshi were of all different ages and backgrounds. I began to wonder how long this history of festival diversity extends.

Lucas uses a variety of methodologies to further examine these aforementioned aspects, including photography, drawing and painting, and mapping. I found the observations of the matsuri uniforms interesting as I had little prior knowledge of the subject area. The reading outlines how drawings depicting the outfits have "stiff seams of fabric and wide sleeves." [2] However, the reading scrutinizes some of the poses seen in these drawings and offers some explanations as to the reasons why these may be inaccurate. Another imperative aspect that Lucas considers in his study of Sanja Matsuri is the consideration of the limitations of each of these three methodologies. Unfortunately, the analysis of each of these methodologies is not very useful for the scope of this discussion and difficult to understand from my background. However, I still found that the reading provided an interesting explanation of the background of the festival.

[1] “Sanja Matsuri.” (Sanja Festival) - Tokyo Travel. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3063.html.

[2] Lucas, Ray. “Script and Score Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri – Japan .” Essay. In Architecture, Festival and the City, 81–96. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2019.

[zacharyja]

Independent Excursion - Academic Reflection - Sanja Matsuri

We made our way there in Asakusa and I was extremely surprised by the sheer number of people at the station as soon as I got off, but it only got worse as we got closer to the Senso-Ji temple. Sanja Matsuri is often considered the largest and most hectic Shinto festivals in Tokyo. The festival consists of roughly 100 portable shrines dedicated to Shinto gods paraded through the city, it also often attracts a massive crowd and is definitely a once in a lifetime sight to see. I really enjoyed the festival and it was pretty amazing to see so many people gathered in one place all there for the same thing. There was even mini Mikoshi (portable shrines) and drums that allowed children to have a chance to participate in the festivities, which was very cute to see. The dedication to the festival and the community gathering was something that you rarely see in the United States, and is something I wish we had more of, as this type of city wide gathering really brings the citizens together and makes the town not feel so big.

After reading through and analyzing "Script and Score, Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri - Japan", I got a better understanding of the background behind the festival, as well as the inner workings of Sanja Matsuri in general. This article brings up a sort of Myth about the beginnings of Edo, the predecessor of Tokyo, which detail the events of three fisherman pulling up a an idol of the goddess of mercy, Kannon from the Sumida river. After many attempts to return it to its proper place, it always returned back to them so they took it as a sign to found the Asakasa shrine in Kannons honor (Lucas). The day before the festival actually begins, the Mikoshi are fitted with the Kami, and are prepared for the festivities in the following days. Seeing these Mikoshi, or portable shrines that are carried by about 30 individuals at a time, parading through the streets honestly opened my eyes to the workings of a very foreign religion. In the United States, I do not get much access or exposure to Buddhism or Shintoism and have honestly never seen any form of these religions being practiced until coming to Japan. It was honestly a huge culture shock to see so many people all practicing and being involved in a religion that I had known so little about before taking this trip, and the sheer dedication of these people to march through the streets for hours at a time in the heat in honor of their religious beliefs made it seem more real to me as I've only really heard about these religions on paper. Another point that is brought up in the article is the use of sound by the festival people, as there is constant chanting, drums, and flutes being played at all times, which can be a bit overwhelming but is also a crucial aspect of the matsuri (Lucas). Another point that the author brings up that I did not really expect to be interested in was the nature of those holding the Mikoshi, as well as those pushing and leading them. The Mikoshi bearers have to remain relatively light on their toes, continually bouncing up and down rhythmically to the beat of the drums and chants, and none of them actually have to worry about directing the Mikoshi on the path. This job is instead left to the pushers and leaders, where the pushers make calculated nudges while paying close attention to the leaders to maintain the desired direction. The leaders walk backwards and face the group, indicating the desired directions with a fan, where different movements and directions of the fan indicate sideways movement and going straight (Lucas). I had no clue that there was so much to the movement of the Mikoshi, as I never thought to consider that there must be so much planning and forethought going into this type of thing to ensure that everything goes according to plan. Looking back at the videos I have I can definitely see the pushers and leaders and am able to understand why they are doing what theyre doing now because I know the inner workings. Overall I really enjoyed my time at the Sanja Matsuri, and I only wish that I had read the article before hand so I could have appreciated it a bit more and had my questions about it already answered.

Works Cited

Lucas, Ray. “Script and Score: 6 : Revisiting Nelson Goodman at Sanja Matsuri – Japan.” Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis, 26 Oct. 2018, www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429432125-6/script-score-ray-lucas.

[alexyssc13]

May 18 - Free Day

The day started with packing. Our bags had to be downstairs before 10am, and mine was not ready. So I woke up early to pack and clean up some. After packing, my friends started coming to Ren and I's room around 8:45. The reason for this is because we all decided to check out the Sanja Matsuri in the yukatas we bought. Since the matsuri events were going to start around 12:30pm at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, we needed to get ready early in case it took a while figuring out the yukatas (which it did). Skylar came first, and she was already in her yukata. Then,  Sadia came next. I put on a YouTube video to help us put on Sadia's yukata first. It's pretty complicated not gonna lie. But we did it! Next was Ren's turn, but Sadia helped her out while I ate breakfast. The hardest part for them seemed like tying the obi bow because it was pre-made like ours. But they figured it out. Finally, it was my turn. My yukata is a beautiful dark blue with light pink and purple flowers. My obi is a nice pink with sakuras on it. What was difficult for me was the fact that mine was too big for me so I had extra fabric to deal with and hide. In the end, I think it still looked good though. Thank you to my friends.💙 Before we left, we did our hair a bit and makeup. We also took pictures in the lobby. Then, we took the train to Asakusa.

It was really packed when we got there, which was expected. It was also a really hot day, so being in a yukata kind of sucked fast. The first thing we did was go to a hairpin shop in a nearby arcade. We ended up buying hairpins for the fits. Everything was expensive there, so I just found the cheapest one I could find. I got a pink and sparkly hair stick that looked like a unicorn horn. One of the shop workers put it in my hair for me. Afterwards, we walked around a bit. Then, I found a place nearby so we could eat lunch and get away from the heat. It was a small restaurant, but it was good food.

After eating lunch, I was ready for the next thing that I planned for myself. Time to get my first tattoo! Sadia and Skylar went on the train with me, but Ren stayed at the matsuri. Sadia was going to an anime pilgrimage, and Skylar was going home. The tattoo studio I went to was in Shinjuku, and it was kind of hard to find because my GPS was being weird. When I got there, I was nervous, but the tattoo artist was pretty nice. We went over final details, like the size and colors, but I already decided the design beforehand. I chose a cherry blossom bonsai tree with the kanji for love. Afterwards, I got out of my yukata and went restroom while he set up everything. I decided to get it on the upper part of my left thigh. I think the process of him drawing it out took about an hour and a half. I would rate the pain like a 7 to be honest. It was worth it though because it looked so good! He cleaned it up, wrapped it, and then told me aftercare details. Once I paid him,  I was free to go. So I met up Sadia at the train station and went home.

[yusix13]

Sanja Matsuri Festival @Asakusa TOKYO