I've been going back through old photos that I've taken from my trips to Japan, and I've been trying to figure out what festival this was. It was June 30, 2015, near the site of the old Tsukiji Fish Market. AI and other searches is telling me this is the Tsukiji Shishi Matsuri (Lion Festival). Can anyone confirm this?
What makes your photo particularly significant is the timing. In 2015, the festival was held in its "Hon-matsuri" (Main Festival) form, which only occurs every three years. It was a massive event that year—not just because of the cycle, but because it was widely celebrated as the last time the mikoshi would be paraded through the grounds of the historic Tsukiji inner fish market before its relocation to Toyosu.
Key details of the festival…
- The Shrine: Namiyoke Inari Shrine (literally "Protection from Waves") was built in the 17th century when the land was being reclaimed from the sea. Legend says the waters only calmed once the shrine was established.
- The Lion (Shishi): The festival is famous for its giant lion heads. The shrine houses two massive ones: Tenno (the male) and Benzaiten (the female). While your photo shows a traditional mikoshi (portable shrine), they are often accompanied by these giant, bobbing lion heads.
- The Date Paradox: While the main parades in 2015 officially peaked around mid-June (June 10–14), June 30th is another very significant date in the Shinto calendar: Nagoshi no Oharae.
- This is a "Summer Purification" ritual held at shrines across Japan on the last day of June.
- Many people visit Namiyoke Shrine on this day to walk through a large grass ring (chi-no-wa) to wash away the sins and bad luck of the first half of the year.
by deletedpenguin