Sannō Matsuri

Overview

The Sanno Matsuri is a festival held at Hie Shrine in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and is counted, along with the Kanda Matsuri and the Fukagawa Matsuri, as one of the three great festivals of Edo. In particular, as the Tenka Matsuri, or festival of the realm, whose main celebration alternates every other year with the Kanda Matsuri, it has boasted exceptional prestige throughout the Edo period. Held every June, the sight of a procession in ancient courtly dress winding through the government and office districts of central Tokyo is a rare spectacle that revives the elegance of Edo in the modern city.

Hie Shrine received the deep reverence of the Tokugawa shogun family as a shrine guarding the rear demon gate, the southwestern direction, of Edo Castle, and its festival, the Sanno Matsuri, was a special one honored by the shogun's viewing. The festival was not merely a local event but developed as a shogunate-sanctioned, national-scale rite praying for the defense and prosperity of the city of Edo.

History and Origins

The origin of the Sanno Matsuri is deeply connected to the fact that Tokugawa Ieyasu, upon entering Edo, venerated Hie Shrine as the guardian deity of the whole of Edo. Hie Shrine lies in the direction of the rear demon gate of Edo Castle and was positioned as a linchpin protecting the castle and the city from calamity. Revered also as the tutelary deity of the shogun family, its festival rapidly expanded in scale under the backing of the shogunate.

The Sanno Matsuri of the Edo period was called the Tenka Matsuri, together with the Kanda Matsuri. This name derives from its being the only festival of its rank whose procession was permitted to enter within the grounds of Edo Castle and to be viewed by the shogun. That a festival of the common people should advance before the shogun was an extraordinary treatment, testifying to how important Hie Shrine was to the shogunate.

The Sanno Matsuri of the Edo period, at the height of its splendor, sent out as many as forty-five gorgeous floats, joined by processional displays and side attractions that filled the roadsides. The townspeople spent great sums to adorn their floats and competed in their magnificence. This festival centered on floats symbolized the economic power of Edo and the flourishing of townspeople's culture.

From the Meiji era onward, the parade of tall floats became difficult due to the laying of tram overhead wires and the like, and the leading role of the festival gradually shifted to the portable shrines. Even so, the courtly-dress procession of the divine progress was handed down in altered form, and today it survives as a major festival of the city center, conveying the traditions of Edo to the present around a main celebration held every other year.

Highlights

The Courtly-Dress Procession of the Divine Progress The heart of the main celebration is the procession of the divine progress, centered on the phoenix palanquin and portable shrines, totaling more than 500 people and extending about 300 meters in length. The sight of a procession clad in Heian-period costume touring the parishioner districts over an entire day, from morning to evening, has the elegance of an Edo-period picture scroll, and its contrast with the skyscraper districts of the city center makes its grace stand out all the more.

Prestige as the Tenka Matsuri The Sanno Matsuri alternates its main celebration every other year with the Kanda Matsuri as the Tenka Matsuri, and this tradition of biennial alternation is itself the greatest highlight. It is a historical arrangement made so that both festivals would not become large-scale in the same year and throw the town of Edo into confusion, and because an especially grand divine progress is held in the year of the main celebration, it is worth checking the year and visiting.

The Divine Procession Around the Imperial Palace The procession departs from Hie Shrine and tours the surroundings of the Imperial Palace, formerly Edo Castle, as well as Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, and Ginza, the central areas of the former castle town of Edo. This parade route, in keeping with the shrine's history of guarding the rear demon gate of Edo Castle, lets one feel geographically that the Sanno Matsuri was a festival integral to Edo Castle.

The Downtown Joint Procession and Portable Shrines The downtown joint procession, in which the portable shrines of each parishioner neighborhood association gather in one place and set out, is also a worthwhile event. The sight of numerous portable shrines touring the city center to the spirited shouts of the bearers conveys in full the vitality of the portable-shrine culture that became the leading role of the festival from the Meiji era onward.

The Children's Procession and Offerings of Traditional Arts During the festival period, a children's procession of dressed-up children and offerings of traditional performing arts such as sacred music and dance within the precincts are also held. Through the participation of local children as bearers, one can observe how the traditions of the festival are handed down to the next generation.

The Sanno Palace and the Splendid Shrine Buildings Hie Shrine itself, the stage of the festival, is also a highlight. The vermilion-lacquered shrine buildings enshrined on the height of Nagatacho, the distinctive faith honoring monkeys as divine messengers, and the characteristic torii gate known as the Sanno torii give the festival's backdrop a fitting depth as the guardian shrine of all Edo.

Event Information

• Location: Hie Shrine in Nagatacho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and the parishioner districts (Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, Ginza, and others)
• Period: Every June (the main celebration with the divine progress is held in alternate years with the Kanda Matsuri)
• Main Events: The divine progress (courtly-dress procession), the downtown joint procession, the children's procession, and offerings of traditional arts
• Access: A few minutes on foot to Hie Shrine from stations such as Akasaka-mitsuke, Tameike-sanno, or Kokkai-gijidomae on the Tokyo Metro
• Admission: Free to watch from the roadside
• Official Information: The distinction between the main and off-year celebrations and the route of the divine progress are announced through Hie Shrine

Nearby Attractions

The Nagatacho and Akasaka area, where Hie Shrine is enshrined, is the center of Japanese politics, home to the National Diet Building and the Prime Minister's Office. Walking the surroundings alongside the festival lets one experience the layered urban landscape unique to Tokyo, where an ancient shrine guarding the rear demon gate of Edo Castle and the political functions of modern Japan coexist on the same height.

The area around the Imperial Palace, through which the procession passes, is a famous spot for historical strolls where remains of the former Edo Castle survive. In the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace one can see the ruins of the castle keep's base and the stone walls, and can call to mind the form of the castle that the Sanno Matsuri once sought to protect. Spots where the memories of Edo and modern Japan intersect, such as the Double Bridge and the Sakuradamon gate, are also scattered within walking distance.

The parade areas of Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, and Ginza are all places where the townspeople's culture of Edo blossomed, and today they bustle as refined commercial districts. Touring these streets, where long-established shops and the latest commercial facilities coexist, one can feel that the spirit of the Edo townspeople who competed with their floats has been handed down to the vitality of today's commerce.

Related Information

• Month: June (summer)
• Prefecture: Tokyo (Kanto region)
• Parent Shrine: Hie Shrine (guardian of the rear demon gate of Edo Castle; guardian shrine of all Edo)
• Standing: One of the three great festivals of Edo, along with the Kanda Matsuri and the Fukagawa Matsuri; the Tenka Matsuri alternating every other year with the Kanda Matsuri
• Historical Feature: The only festival of its rank whose procession entered Edo Castle and was viewed by the shogun
• Highlights: The roughly 300-meter, 500-plus-person courtly-dress procession of the divine progress, and the downtown joint procession

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