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2016 Sanno Festival: Colorful Hie Shrine Celebration Photos
The Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine offered a blend of color, tradition, and urban contrast. It was irresistible for photographers. In 2016, I explored its quieter side. There were moments of calm along with timeless rituals. Then there was the juxtaposition of shrine architecture against Nagatacho’s towering skyscrapers. Join me as I look back at this vibrant event, where even a quieter Sunday held a world of photo opportunities.
By the way, have you visited Hie Shrine? That hill I mentioned is pretty big. To enter, you have to walk up a long series of stairs. Luckily, there were some escalators. That made things very easy.
What is the Sanno Festival?
The Sanno is one of the three most famous festivals in Tokyo. It takes place at Hie Shrine over eleven days. Its main attraction is the Shinkosai, a procession around the city. Participants carry omikoshi (portable shrines) on their march. You need a lot of stamina because it goes for nine hours. It takes place only in even-numbered years.
What happened during the 2016 Sanno Festival?
The 2016 Sanno Festival was held in an even-numbered year. And that meant it had the Shinkosai parade. Unfortunately for me, I had work when that happened. So the main festivities had already finished. I only got to see people coming to pray and drink tea. It wasn’t the most exciting day.
One highlight was gagaku (court music). I had never heard that live before. It was good to see it at a big festival. We need to keep the old arts alive.
It was very different from my favorite festival, the Sanja. The Sanja is in Asakusa and is much bigger and far noisier. That event happens a month earlier each year, in May. Whatever, both are great tourist attractions.
At the 2016 Sanno Festival, I spent most of my time wandering around the shrine. As there were no major festivities that day, I photographed people and the omikoshi. I also took some architectural photos.
One thing I especially liked was the location. It is in Nagatacho, so there are some skyscrapers around Hie Shrine. How they tower over the buildings shows how Tokyo intertwines old and new. It’s an amazing contrast.
Conclusion
The 2016 Sanno Festival was the first and last time I photographed this event. Since then, work has killed my weekend schedule. But I hope to go again one day. That might be difficult as I often work on weekends. Anyway, it is another thing on my bucket list. And I want to walk with the Shinkosai around the city. That would be a thrill!
What photo gear did I use for this shoot?
- Ricoh GR II
For more festival articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Sanno Festival (official website)