The first time I went to Hie Shrine was for its 2016 Sanno Festival. While the event went for eleven days, I only attended on a Sunday. It’s very traditional and colorful, which makes it perfect for photographers.
By the way, have you visited Hie Shrine? It is on the top of a hill. 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 festival takes place over eleven days at Hie Shrine in central Tokyo. 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. The parade takes place only on even-numbered years.
What happened during my visit?
The 2016 Sanno Festival was held in an even-numbered year, but due to work commitments, I didn’t see the parade. When I went, 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, but I had a good time.
One of the day’s highlights was listening to gagaku (court music). That was something I had never heard live before. It was good to see it at a big festival.
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.
Most of my time was spent wandering around. As there were no major festivities, 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 were some skyscrapers around the shrine. The way they tower over the shrine shows how Tokyo intertwines old and new.
Wrapping up
Unfortunately, I haven’t been to the Sanno Festival since 2016. Of course, I have wanted to go again. But as my work often takes place on weekends, it is often difficult to schedule things. 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!
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