Next tour: October 27, Saturday

golden phoenix on top of Mikoshi, Tomioka Hachimangu shrine

October was once called "Kanna-zuki"（神無月）, meaning "no god month" in Japanese old calendar. It is said that in this month, gods from all over Japan go to Izumo Taisha shrine in Shimane prefecture, western Japan, for an annual gathering, so they are absent from their shrines.

Well, even if gods are absent, we still have a beautiful shrine, spectacular Mikoshi (mobile shrine), golden phoenix and lots more. Lets find out in our monthly tours. Click here for for details. 

Next tour: September 29, Saturday

Kiyosumi garden

Interested in experiencing the mysterious ritual of fire in Buddhist temple? Or feel like taking a walk in a beautiful Japanese garden to enjoy the beginning of autumn? Our next free volunteer-guided walking tours will be held on September 29, Saturday. Click here for for details. 

Once-in-3-Year Mikoshi Parade to Come This Weekend!

Two spectacular mikoshi parades will take place in the Fukagawa area in eastern Tokyo this weekend as part of a once-in-three-year big summer festival at Tomioka-Hachimangu Shrine.

Especially this year, they include the famous water throwing parade which was due last year but postponed to this summer because of the earthquake.

The festival will start on Saturday, 11th of August, when the large luxurious Mikoshi (portable shrine) from Hachimangu shrine parades through the streets. It is said that the spirit of the god rides on the Mikoshi, wishing for peace and happiness of the people. The Mikoshi is  accompanied by priests and dancing priestesses.

The water throwing parade is on Sunday, 12th of August. 54 beautiful Mikoshis from each community of Fukagawa take part in the parade. Each mikoshi is carried by dozens or even hundreds of locals with thunderous "Wasshoi" calls. The parade will start from  Hachimangu shrine at 7:30am.

People along the street pour water using buckets, hoses and even fire-extinguishing vehicles on Mikoshis and on their carriers, for purification purpose and also for refreshment in a hot, burning summer day.
If you get closer to the parade, you are sure to get soaked. Don't forget to bring plastic bag to protect your phone or camera from water.


Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine: 1-20-3 Tomioka, Koto-ku, Tokyo.
3 to 6 minutes walk from Monzen Nakacho station, on Tozai line (Tokyo Metro) or Oed Line (Toei Subway).

Sumo training stable tour on Friday

We have a special tour this Friday, 10th of August, visiting a Sumo training stable in Koto-ku, Tokyo and watching their morning training session.

The tour starts at 8:30 7:45am. If you would like to join, send us email to koto.guide@gmail.com, with your name, gender, nationality, number of participants and your contact number.
After the sumo stable, we will guide you through to Fukagawa Edo Museum.

Next tour: July 28, Saturday

You can choose from Course A:visiting a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple, or Course B: visiting Haiku (the world’s shortest poem) museum of Basho and a beautiful Japanese Garden. Click here for for details. 

It's summertime! but you should take your hat off in the room of the Buddha

Make a wish upon a star on July 7 : Tanabata

July 7 is the day of Tanabata, or the Star Festival. Japanese children write down their wishes on strips of paper and put them on bamboo trees with colourful ornaments, believing that the stars could make their wishes come true.

During the Edo period (1603 - 1867), Tanabata especially used to be one of the biggest events that people enjoyed most.
At that time, the stars looked so beautiful even in Tokyo that people thought if they put the bamboo trees high up in the sky, they could reach the stars.
So, families and children decorated a bamboo tree with a lot of colourful ornaments, and the town was full of those trees. Each of them were more than 10 meters high. It's like hundreds of big Christmas trees in town.

You can have the spectacular experience of the good old Tanabata in Fukagawa Edo Museum right now. English speaking guides are available in the museum, including members from KEV. The Tanabata exhibition is until July 8th. Don't miss!


Fukagawa Edo Museum :
The mid-19th century town of Edo (old Tokyo) has been reproduced in real size. You can walk throuth the street, touch and feel the buildings and tools of 1840's.
Access: 3 minutes- walk from Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station, Oedo Line (Toei Subway) / Hanzomon Line (Tokyo Metro)
Address: 1-3-28 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults-300yen, Children-50yen (Child or children must be accompanied by parent or guardian ) 

Course B on 23rd June 2012



At Yokozuna street, we happened to meet one of trainees at Kitanoumi sumo trainig house.

Second person from left.

His name is Hakuai and kindly took a picture with tour participants.