オフィシャル
Not to be missed【Kanda Festival (Kanda Matsuri)】
～Scheduled on May 10-11, 2025 with approximate time to view the parade～
Not to be missed in Tokyo!
Kanda Festival (Kanda Matsuri), which is one of Japan's three most famous festivals along with Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka, takes place on May 10-11, 2025.
Now, you can see real “Mikoshi” (picture) at the entrance of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi department store and the building of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store is designated as important cultural property in Japan, thus it is also “Not to be missed”.
Kanda Festival (Kanda Matsuri)
Kanda Festival (Kanda Matsuri) consists of numerous events, but the main action is held on May 10-11, 2025.
Kanda Matsuri is assumed a boast for the parishioners of 108 villages in Kanda, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, Otemachi, and Marunouchi and it has been succeeded incessantly from old times of Edo. The festival was also called “Goyou-maturi (Shogunate official festival)” because it was permitted for Shogunate to see in the Edo castle, or “Tenka-maturi” which involved a meaning of the best festival in whole country. Even generals and women in the inner halls of the Edo Castle saw a scene that magnificent float (mikoshi) entered into the Edo castle with a length of even 36 mikoshi or more continuously at that time.
May 10 (Sat): Main procession
An enormous day-long procession, accompanying priests on horses and many dressed people in colorful traditional costumes, is paraded through the streets of Kanda, Nihonbashi, Otemachi and Akihabara and leads to Kanda Myoujin (Kanda Shrine).
Approximate time to view the parade;
★Nihonbashi (Mitsukoshi department store): 16:20
★Akihabara (Main street): 17:10
May 11 (Sun): Mikoshi (float)
The Kanda Festival is all about mikoshi (float), which are portable shrines that are carried by large teams of people, often representing neighborhoods or groups. Well over 100 mikoshi, adorned with a golden phoenix on top of each, are carried throughout the parade route, which are many streets of Kanda, Nihonbashi, Akihabara and the neighborhoods.
Sources and references
Kanda Myoujin (Kanda Shrine) and its official site (Japanese): https://www.kandamyoujin.or.jp/
Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Festival) official site (Japanese): https://kandamatsuri.com/