In late spring there are lot of small neighborhood festivals in Tokyo where the residents parades the Mikoshi of their shrine around the neighborhoods it serves.  O-mikoshi are sacred palanquin that are carried on the shoulders of its residents so that the shrine’s kami-sama (a Shinto god that is enshrined by the shrine – in Shinto there is not one god but many – one picks the god that fits your needs of that moment) can visit the community, be entertained, and bestow virtues. Each community served by the shrine takes turns carrying the Mikoshi around their own neighborhood.

Each neighborhood have their own unique hapi (festival robes, originated from Japanese fireman’s jacket). The hapi is worn with tabi (split toe socks – although with the aging society modern tabi features an air sole).

This Mikoshi parade was for the Ueno Gojyou Tenjin Shrine (五條天神社) and took place around the Ueno-Okachimachi area on a rainy day.  Normally, this Mikoshi parade takes place every 3 years but this year was the shrine’s 1900th year “birthday” and to celebrate the Mikoshi parade took place although its only been 2 years since the last parade.

Ending with food and drinks…