The shape of it
About
The summer festival of Tomioka Hachimangū in Kōtō ward and the last of Edo's three greats, nicknamed the mizu-kake (water-throwing) festival because spectators hurl purifying water over the passing mikoshi and bearers. 2026 is a rare hon-matsuri grand year, when more than 50 neighbourhood portable shrines parade an 8 km circuit and get thoroughly soaked.
Highlights
- Hon-matsuri grand procession of 50-plus neighbourhood mikoshi over an 8 km route on the main Sunday
- Crowds dousing the bearers and shrines with buckets and hoses of purifying water — soak guaranteed
- A genuine triennial spectacle: the full festival only runs at this scale once every three years
Plan it well
- Wear clothes you don't mind getting drenched in and protect your phone and camera in waterproof bags
- Tomioka Hachimangū is a 3-minute walk from Monzen-nakachō Station on the Tozai and Oedo lines
- Go on the hon-matsuri Sunday for the full 50-mikoshi parade; smaller-scale years skip the grand procession
Where it happens
Scroll to load the map
Map pins
