Celebrated since the early 17th century and recognised as one of the three great festivals of Edo (along with the Kanda and Fukagawa festivals), the Sanno Matsuri marks the start of Tokyo's summer festival season.
The highlight of the 10-day festival is the grand parade on Friday June 7, running from 7.45am to 5pm. The spectacular procession will feature a colourful array of mikoshi (portable shrines), floats and elaborately dressed revellers cutting through downtown Tokyo, passing by the Imperial Palace (12noon), Tokyo Station (12.40pm), Ginza clock tower (3.30pm), and more. You can check out the parade route here (in Japanese only).
At the festival's main site, Hie Shrine will host a series of events, though many of them are small in scale. Nevertheless, there's the chigo-gyoretsu (Sunday June 9 at 12noon and 2.30pm), a parade where kids dress up in orange and purple to wish for growth and health, and the chinowa-kuguri purification rite that sees participants pray for longevity by passing through a reed ring. Check out the schedule (in Japanese only) for all the details.
Coinciding with the festivities at Hie shrine, the public square at Sanno Park Tower next door is hosting the Sanno Ondo bon odori festival. Happening daily at 6.30pm from Thursday June 13 to Saturday June 15, the event lets you bask in the pleasant summer evening breeze, with a communal dance fiesta accompanied by the rhythmic beats of taiko drums. There will also be food stalls galore, making this a true summertime matsuri experience.