Hokkaido is famous for its snow festivals, ski resorts and the vast and calm scenery of the countryside. Now as winter is receding to the backstage and the sunlight of summer is drawing near, let’s get ready for a summer escape to the green and blue paradise of Furano and Biei.

But before we start our journey, let me give you some tips for a great trip at an affordable price.

Useful Tips for Your Trip to Hokkaido

This is the Kanda festival, a festival centered around Kanda Myojin, a shrine in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo. This happens to be one of the three biggest festivals in Japan alongside the Gion festival in Kyoto and the Tenjin festival in Osaka.

What Is the Kanda Festival?

© The Tokyo Sightseeing Foundation

The Kanda Festival is held at Kanda Shrine, which is located in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo. Along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Tenjin Festival in Osaka, this is one of the three biggest festivals in Japan. There are two different types of Kanda Festivals held: the Honmatsuri, which is held in odd numbered years, and the Kagematsuri, which is held in even years. However, when someone mentions the Kanda Festival, they’re usually referring to the lively Honmatsuri.

The Kanda Festival is also referred to as the Tenka Festival, or the Unification Festival. The connection to this name comes from Tokugawa Ieyasu who initiated the Tokugawa shogunate (*1). It is said that before going into battle with other warlords, Tokugawa would without fail make his servants go to the Kanda Shrine and pray for victory in the upcoming battle. By doing this, Tokugawa Ieyasu was able to wonderfully unify Japan. In gratitude to the shrine, he donated a gorgeous-looking shaden (the main building of the shrine) and an omikoshi (a portable shrine) to Kanda Shrine. Thanks to the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the festival held at this shrine reached impressive proportions.

The highlight of this festival is getting to see the shinkosai, which is a line of roughly 500 people who all wear clothing from the Heian period (794-1185). The shinkosai parade starts off at the Kanda Shrine, goes through Akihabara, an area which is well-known for its many electronic stores, goes through the office districts of Marunouchi and Otemachi, then makes its way back to Kanda Shrine. The sight of a line of people wearing clothing from the Heian period walking through the modern streets is very striking. The next day after the shinkosai is when the omikoshi comes out from the town neighboring Kanda Shrine.

We will introduce here some more information on the highlights of the Kanda Festival.

*1: Tokugawa shogunate: the Tokugawa family ruled Japan from 1603-1867. This is often referred to as theEdo period (1603-1868). This was a period that started off with the first shogun - Ieyasu Tokugawa, continuing until Tokugawa Yoshinobu gave over political power to Emperor Meiji.

The 2017 Kanda Festival

2017 is the year when the Honmatsuri version of the Kanda Festival will be held. The dates for this festival are written below.

The shinkosai: Saturday, May 13th, held all day.

The omikoshi procession: Sunday, May 14th, held all day.

The Venue for the Kanda Festival and How to Get There from the Station

The shinkosai and the omikoshi procession held on the next day can both be seen in the areas surrounding Kanda Shrine. Here, we’ll teach you how to get to the most important spot in this festival, the Kanda Shrine itself.

The closest station to the Kanda Shrine is Akihabara Station. If you’re coming from Tokyo Station, take the uchimawari (inner loop) of the JR Yamanote line and get off at Akihabara Station. It’ll take about three to four minutes and costs 140 yen. From the Electric Town exit of Akihabara Station it’s about a seven-minute walk to the shrine itself.

Kanda Shrine
Address: Tokyo, Chiyoda, Soto-Kanda 2-16-2

The Highlights of the Kanda Festival

Shinkosai

© The Tokyo Sightseeing Foundation

The shinkosai is performed with the aim of purifying the town, as the deities that protect the areas surrounding the Kanda Shrine ride in three types of omikoshi known as the ichi-no-miya-ho-ren, ni-no-miya-omikoshi, and the san-no-miya-omikoshi. The people dressed in the clothing from the Heian period accompany the gods during this procession.

During this procession, one of the highlights is the appearance of the impressive hikimono (*2). These vehicles are noteworthy because of their unique designs, which include the heads of Japanese ogres, or of the great catfish that is said to cause earthquakes in Japan. The hikimono and their attendants are referred to as the tsuke matsuri, and the inclusion of both in the overall Kanda Festival depends on the year.

*2 Hikimono: large car-like objects that appear in festivals across Japan that are typically pulled by large groups of men. They are often referred to by different terms, such as hikiyama, yatai, and danjiri.

Have you ever wondered how the vividly colored Japanese woodcut prints (also known as ukiyo-e or hanga) are made? The printing techniques used to create ukiyo-e have been developed in the Edo period (1603 - 1868) and have gained great popularity through the works of masters such as Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 - 1858).

The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing is an institution whose mission is to ensure that the woodcut printing techniques are kept alive through the work of contemporary artisans and to spread the public knowledge about this Japanese traditional art. In addition to regular ukiyo-e exhibitions held at the facility's showroom, the Adachi Foundation holds woodcut print workshops and demonstrations showing the whole process of completing a traditional woodcut print.

Picture courtesy of the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing

Until April 16th, the foundation holds an exhibition entitled "Ukiyo-e Exhibition of Cherry Blossoms and Mount Fuji Brought to Life in Brilliant Colors through Craftsmanship". The exhibition displays woodcut prints inspired by the beauty of the cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, the two prominent symbols of Japan.

In addition, on April 4th, there will be a ukiyo-e print demonstration and trial session with English interpretation. The participants will be able to see a demonstration of woodcut printing by artisans, and even try their hand at making their own ukiyo-e print which they will be able to take home as a souvenir! The participation to this workshop is free of charge - a reason for us to warmly recommend it!

Tsukiji Market, located in the Chuo ward of Tokyo, is known to be the largest fish market in the world. The freshest seafood is brought in and here, you are able to savor delicious sushiand kaisendon, or seafood rice bowls, on site.

However, there are many sushi shops and seafood bowl restaurants standing side by side on the streets and can get confusing which one to go to.

This time we would like to introduce you to shops that carry menus in foreign languages and even a shop with a manager who speaks nine languages.

The terms ”jonai” and ”jogai” written next to the name of the shop states roughly where the shop is located. The difference between jonai and jogai can be found in this MATCHA article.

Read more: What'sThe Difference Between Tsukiji Jogai And Jonai?

1. Kaisendon Oedo (Jonai)

First, we would like to introduce you to Kaisendon Oedo in the jonai area. The great part about this shop is their menu has over 150 items and you can eat seafood according to your preferences here. From tuna, salmon, scallops, crab, sea urchin, and shrimp, there are rice bowls with a variety of seafood mixed and matched.

For instance, the highly recommended Hakodate-don (*1) contains salmon from Hakodate, sea urchin, salmon roe, and tuna on rice. On the Otaru-don (*2), it has specialties from Otaru such as salmon roe, large shrimp, crab claw, squid, and scallop. As you can see, you will be able to find a rice bowl with toppings of your preference.

There are staff members that can speak English, so those that cannot speak Japanese can ask about the types of fish and how they taste in English. At Kaisendon-Oedo, you will also be able to taste the fresh and delicious tuna they auctioned at the tuna auction first thing in the morning.

*1 Hakodate: A city in Hokkaido.
*2 Otaru: A city in Hokkaido.

Read also: How to See the Tuna Auctions at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market

2. Umai Sushikan (Jonai)

Next, we would like to introduce you to a sushi shop called Umai Sushikan.

Many sushi and seafood bowl shops in the jonai area tend to be small shops with approximately 10 seats, but this is a larger shop with 42 seats. This is recommended for groups, families and those who do not want to wait in a line to eat. At Umai Sushikan they have seasonal sushi set additions such as the Pacific Saury sushi in autumn so you can come back to try something new many times.

Odawara, a Town That Soothes Tired Travelers

It's easy to go to Hakone and Mt. Fuji from Kanagawa prefecture's Odawara city. Odawara has prospered as a town for travelers, especially those looking for lodgings, for over 300 years.

Samurai Oyado is a guesthouse near Odawara Castle and is a representation of those old style accommodations. This guesthouse is filled with the owners strong hopes of making it a place where travelers from abroad can re-energize themselves.

Consideration Is Key; Conveying the Spirit of Old Inns

What's most important when speaking to travelers from overseas is to see things from their perspective, and to be considerate of this.

This is what the owner Mr. Abe (on the left) and staff member Mr. Ozawa (on the right) say. Their thoughtful hospitality has led Samurai Oyado to have a high rating of 8.8 on Booking.com (as of March 2017).

The idea of starting the Samurai Oyado came from seeing the excitement travelers had at viewing historical or retro Japanese buildings while attending events in Japan. This led to the opening of Samura Oyado, with the revival of traditional inns as its concept.

Inns have existed in Japan for over 300 years and were once accommodations where samurai and other travelers stopped to spend the night in peace during long journeys. With this idea of a soothing stay in mind, Samurai Oyado has several key points to it that are sure to help its guests have a peaceful rest.

Soothing Point 1: Gorokichi Is Waiting to Greet You

When you enter the Samurai Oyado, you will be greeted by Gorokichi, the cat and mascot of this guesthouse. It's the perfect surprise for cat lovers. Gorokichi has an affectionate personality and likes to meet new people, and will not hesitate to approach the guests to say hi, even if it is the first time they are staying there.

Ginza is well known as a town where visitors from around the world come to enjoy a day of shopping.

It's in this area that Tokyu Plaza Ginza opened in the spring of 2016. Proudly boasting one of the largest commercial complexes in the Ginza area, it especially caters to our guests from abroad. Many of the shops have an especially Japanese feel to them, reminding visitors that they are indeed here in Tokyo. Today we introduce five shops that all have a great selection of Tokyo-themed souvenirs.

Visitor Friendly Tokyu Plaza Ginza

Tokyu Plaza Ginza is a shopping complex that's only minutes away from both Ginza and Yurakucho Stations. It's directly connected by an underground walkway from the subway, keeping you dry on rainy days.

Making full use of traditional Japanese glass work, the facade of the building is designed with a kiriko* motif. Inside there are 125 interesting shops on 13 floors, including two basement levels. The duty-free shops will surely please visitors to Japan, and there are also many retail outlets specializing in Made in Japan products.

*Kiriko: a traditional glass cutting technique developed during the Edo period. It's characterized by a beautiful jewel-like design.

1. HANDS EXPO: Much More Than Just a Souvenir Shop!

HANDS EXPO, produced by Tokyu Hands, is a shop that carries just about everything you'd like to see in a variety shop. It's packed with all kinds of unique items on the spacious 7th floor.

HANDS EXPO is slightly different from other Tokyu Hands locations. Visitors who want to pick up something to remember their trip to Japan by can choose from a large selection of goods that make ideal souvenirs. World Heritage site Mount Fuji has its own special goods, all with superb designs, and even those not looking for a Japan-specific souvenir will be pleased with their purchase.