Although it’s not one of the major festivals, the Akasaka Hikawa Matsuri is an easily accessible community festival with lots of activities and events.
What happens?
The festival features restored dashi, which are traditional wheeled floats. That’s not a very enlightening description, so if you want a better idea of what we’re talking about, check this video on YouTube. One of the floats features a not very traditional but quite impressive hydraulic lift which raises it up to about 5 metres in height.
Schedule 2023
Friday, September 15: (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) A traditional Hikawa float, entitled “two old men standing” (you can imagine how that looks), and the town council’s mikoshi* (portable shrine) will parade between Akasaka-Mitsuke and Akasaka stations, and along Akasaka-dōri from Akasaka Station along to the 5-chōme police box. Procession map can be found here.
Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17: (3 p.m. to 9 p.m.) Night market at Hikawa Shrine with special shops and stalls and from 6 p.m. there will be a Bon Odori dance festival.
Sunday, September 17: (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) The Hikawa Shrine’s mikoshi* followed by two traditional floats will be paraded around Akasaka. Members of the public are encouraged to help pull along the traditional floats (registration is required). Procession map can be found here.
Note: There is also a Shintō ritual on Thursday, September 14 but the general public are discouraged from attending.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.- 440 m from Roppongi-itchōme Station Namboku Line (N5)
- 449 m from Akasaka Station Chiyoda Line (C6)
- 0.6 km from Roppongi Station Hibiya Line (H4)Oedo Line (E23)
