Sanja Matsuri

 This morning we loaded back on the bus for our return to Tokyo for the Sanji Matsuri Festival.  We stayed at the Akausa View Hotel which was in the heart of the festival.  This hotel was obviously the base for many of the festival participants with many of them in the lobby in their festival clothing.  We could actually look down on the action from our room.

Because many of the area restaurants are small, we were on our own for lunch.  We wondered across the street and found Fukumen. This Mexican restaurant was authentic and very tasty.  It also happened to be on the parade route so we were able to leave our table when another shrine marched by.






About the festival.  One of the largest in Japan, the festival celebrates the three founders of the Sensoji Temple and dates back to 1615.  Portable shrines, mikoshi, are paraded around the streets.  They are said to house Shinto Deities and are awakened by the bearers shaking and chanting as they march along.  The shrines are heavy, so marchers rotate in and out of carrying the shrines in order to rest.  This festival starts on Friday and culminates with the largest shrines on Sunday.  The streets are filled with onlookers with over a million people attending over the three day weekend.

We returned to to hotel for a little afternoon siesta followed by dinner in the hotel.  There's a large dinner buffet that reminded me a little of something you might find in Las Vegas serving both western and Japanese foods.  It was quite a feast.

Tomorrow: Final Festival Day 

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