おまつり!🎉TSUKIJI🐟 PARADE of GIANT LION HEADS🦁SHINTO FESTIVAL (Shishi Matsuri)!

The great Shishi (lion-dog) Taisai festival which greets the coming of summer is held every year by Namiyoke Inari Shinto shrine in Tsukiji!
⛩🎌👺
(Tsukiji is home to the world's most famous seafood market!)
🐟🦀🐡
• Several HUGE & beautiful heads of Shishi (Sacred lion-Dogs) were created in the 1800's by master artisans using carved wood, leather, lacquer, iron, bronze & gold, will be paraded with music & dance featuring beautiful dressed (often half-naked) men and woman!
😅 (I've been wanting to see this great festival, so now is our chance!)
• Namiyoke-jinja Inari shrine was founded in 1639 & is a famous place to pray for prosperity, good business & protection from disaster & bad luck. Inari is the Kami of rice & all agricultural products.
🍜
The Shishi matsuri tradition is passed on to each generation since the Edo period. (1603-1868)
👨‍👩‍👦
History says local people faced many problems in land-reclamation work at the coast of Edo (now Tokyo) because shoreline embankments in the Tsukiji area were often washed away by fierce winds & ocean waves!
💨🌞🏄🏻‍♂️
• The forces of nature calmed down after people started worshiping the sacred image of a deity which was floated on the ocean’s surface. People started the celebration as soon as the reclamation completed in 1659 by carrying floats & Omikoshi (portable shrines) that represents a dragon that controls the clouds, a tiger that controls the winds & huge heads of male & female shishi lions. (but many FOXES are there, too!)
🦁🦊🐲
ONLY women may carry the giant red female Lion head & they work very hard! (The female Shishi head weighs 0.7 metric tons, or 1,500 pounds, the male head weighs 1 ton, or 2,200 pounds!)
🐯
Hon-Matsuri is the "hon" (true) festival of several over a span of 3-4 years
🔆
• A Chinowa (a large, sacred hoop made of kaya grass) will be set up for summer spirit-cleansing rituals where you can perform Chinowa-kuguri (passing in and out, through a Chinowa).
💫
• We'll take a tour of the neighborhood & follow the parade of the Giant Shishi Heads & omikoshi as they go out & come back to the shrine, or watch the parade go by, while enjoying conversation & delicious food & drinks, so please invite all of your friends to join this festive event!
🍺🍤🍣
We'll also tour superb Tsukiji Honganji Buddhist temple, famous for it's unusual architecture, plus many gorgeous stone & wood carvings, around the temple. They have a pipe organ & many astonishing golden ornaments which must be seen which greatly add to the heavenly-temple atmosphere!
😊
NOTE: We have no set event fee, but donations of from￥2000-￥4000 per person are appreciated! We work hard to plan interesting events & guide you safely to the best places, so please give generously!
🙏🏻
KIDS are WELCOME & free to join with a parent!
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦
We look forward to seeing you & hope you will invite your friends to join in this unique experience of traditional Japanese culture.
🎌
IT WILL BE FUN, SO LET'S ALL GO!!!
🚶🏻‍♀️ 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🤸🏻‍♂️ 🚶🏻‍♂️
Wear comfortable shoes, your smile & bring a hat in case it's very sunny!
🌞
Thanks, your organizer, Kerry D. 😎

P.S. Any questions?