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Features
Mar 31, 2017
Hello, Koto!
A City of Festivals
The Fukagawa Mizukake Matsuri isn’t the only festival Koto City is renowned for. Steeped in tradition that harks back to the Edo era (1603 – 1868), Koto City plays host to a melange of festivals throughout the year, creating a constant celebratory buzz that permeates the city.
春 – Spring
Kameido Tenjin Ume and Fuji Festivals
Among the top-visited places in Tokyo, Kameido Tenjin Shrine is a rare gem that presents a different floral scenery every season. Established in 1661, it enshrines Michizane Sugawara, a scholar of the 9th century who is widely worshipped as the god of learning. For this reason, the shrine attracts many students during exam periods, who visit to pray for wisdom. The sceneries you can see in Spring are also the most anticipated ones — Ume (plum blossoms) and Fuji (wisteria) Festivals. During the months of February and March, the shrine comes alive with pretty plum blossoms, while later on, it gets awash in cascades of lavender blooms dangling from 15 wisteria trellises.
Oedo Fukagawa Cherry Blossom Festival
One thing you will notice when you visit Koto City is the sheer number of canals running across the city. Linked to Tokyo Bay as well as Sumida and Arakawa Rivers, these canals served an important role for the once-prosperous lumber industry during the Edo period. Today, they make one of the best viewing spots of cherry blossoms — whether you are jogging along the pathway or onboard one of the specially arranged tour boats, you will be able to see the breathtakingly pretty cherry blossoms lining the canals.
夏 – Summer
Koto Fireworks Festival
Summertime in Japan is synonymous with fireworks — every weekend between July and August, you are bound to see amazing fireworks shows colouring the skies. This year’s Fireworks Festival at Koto City marks its 34th celebration, and it will be held some time in early August at Sunamachi Mizube Park, near the Arakawa River. Go early to reserve your spot; around 300,000 spectators are anticipated to turn up!
秋 – Autumn
Kiba-no-Kakunori Festival
Kiba, whose name translates to lumberyard, is an area in Koto City once famed for lumberyards and warehouses. During Kiba-no-Kakunori, or square log rolling, watch raftsmen perform Japanese folk art as they balance on floating logs while performing incredible stunts.
Kameido Tenjin Kiku Festival
More of an exhibition of sorts, the Kiku (chrysanthemum) Festival features potted chrysanthemum flowers of different varieties, shapes, colours and sizes. Why is it so popular? The answer is in the numbers — in 2016, the festival displayed a whopping 500 pots in front of the main shrine! How’s that for a spectacle?
With its distinctive architectural design that resembles four inverted pyramids, the Tokyo Big Sight — Japan’s largest convention and exhibition venue — is impossible to miss. The ultra-modern centre is furnished with high-tech features and amenities, making it the top of choice for hosting large-scale international events. Tokyo Big Sight will be a prominent venue for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Until then, it will continue to host shows like Tokyo Motor Show and Comic Market — the former is a biennial showcase of world debuts that attracted 812,500 visitors in 2015; and the latter is Japan’s most popular comic convention that attracted 530,000 visitors across three days last year!
