The Kanda Matsuri, centred on Kanda Myojin Shrine, is one of Tokyo’s three great Shinto festivals (alongside the Sanja and Sanno matsuri) and dates back to the Edo period, when it was celebrated as a display of prosperity under the Tokugawa shogunate. The festival’s grandest events are held in full scale only in odd-numbered years (alternating with the Sanno Matsuri), over several days in mid-May. Its highlight is a spectacular day-long procession that winds for kilometres through the Kanda, Nihonbashi and Otemachi districts of central Tokyo — a long parade featuring people in Heian-era court costume, priests on horseback, musicians, dancers and floats, followed on another day by around a hundred mikoshi (portable shrines) carried energetically through the streets to the shrine. Blending solemn ritual, colourful historical pageantry and high-spirited mikoshi-bearing, the Kanda Matsuri is a magnificent celebration of old Edo — check whether it’s a full-scale year and the exact dates before planning your visit.

🗓️ At a Glance
Location Kanda/Chiyoda, Tokyo
Hours Mid-May (odd years, full scale)
Admission Free
Time needed 1–2 hours viewing
Best time Mid-May in odd-numbered years

What to See

  • A kilometres-long procession in Heian-era costume.
  • Priests on horseback, musicians, dancers and floats.
  • Around a hundred mikoshi carried to Kanda Myojin.
  • A grand celebration of old Edo (odd years).

Combine Your Visit

Getting There

  • By train: to Ochanomizu or Akihabara for Kanda Myojin.
  • On foot: along the procession route in central Tokyo.

Tips

Check in advance whether it’s a full-scale year (odd-numbered years) and the exact dates and route, as the biggest events alternate annually. Position yourself along the main procession route for the historical parade, visit Kanda Myojin Shrine itself (also popular with anime fans for its Akihabara links), and combine it with nearby Akihabara.