神田明神・神田祭－Kanda Myojin Sinto Shrine / Kanda Festival – the guardian deity of Tokyo (May. 2019-No.21）

神田明神・神田祭－Kanda Myojin Sinto Shrine ・ Kanda Festival – guardian deity of all clans in 108 neighborhood associations of Tokyo, and one of the three most famous festivals in Japan
Kanda Myojin Sinto Shrine is located in Chiyoda Ward of central Tokyo near Akihabara, Otemachi, Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, old Tsukiji Fish Market. It is said to be built around 730, and enshrined Taira-no-Masakado who rebelled against the Imperial Court in 935. He became a national hero and the guardian deity of Tokyo in spite of a rebel. It is said you can win the game if you pray to Masakado deity.
Kanda Festival is dedicated to Kanda Myojin Sinto Shrine, and it reportedly began in the early Edo period. On this day (May 12) Shinto portable shrines called Mikoshi paraded through the streets shouldering them by the people of each town. I heard there were about 100 Mikoshi parading. The Edo kids (containing old or young women and men) called Edokko were shouting stirringly shouldering them, and a large number of spectators gathered along the road sides and in the precinct of the shrine to see this parades. The streets were filled with unusual excitement. This day was surely very hot!!

a parade with a floot of a Noh actor and the people wearing old Kimono and Happi

a Mikoshi of a neighborhood association

the main hall of this shrine

another Mikoshi of a neighborhood association