The Sanja Matsuri is a festival held annually on a weekend in mid-May at Asakusa Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, which is a Shinto facility located adjacent to Sensouji Temple, a Buddhist facility.
During the festival, the three deities enshrined at Asakusa Shrine spend one night with Kannon-sama at Sensoji Temple before returning to the shrine and visiting the town on portable shrines called mikoshi.
On this night, the Japanese people go home quietly, which is a change from the previous frenzy. However, I am puzzled as to why the foreign men, who are obviously educated gentlemen with an interest in Japanese culture, remain and stare at the inside of the temple. Once a year, the goddess who resides in the temple is visited by a male deity from a neighboring shrine. Why not have dinner together and spend time together afterwards? On behalf of the goddess, do not peek at me.
On the first day, there is a big procession to appeal to the gods, which everyone eagerly awaits with great joy.
On the second day, around 100 portable shrines from various towns appear, and the mikoshi are carried by members of each town’s council after being purified one by one. The mikoshi then pass through the shrine’s torii gate and return to their respective towns. As the mikoshi carry the gods, they are swung vigorously while shouting “wassoi” to please the gods. It is believed that this will bring a good harvest, a good catch of fish, and the eradication of epidemics.
On the third day, the three main mikoshi shrines proceed through the alleys of the Asakusa district so that the gods can see every nook and cranny of the area.