Born and raised in Kanda, Tokyo, I go by the name Shitamachi Kombu. It’s been nearly half a century since I came into this world. Today, I took a ride through the Kanda Matsuri—Kanda area’s largest festival, held once every two years—using a docomo share bike. This festival is one of the three great festivals of Edo, dating back to the Edo period, and is sometimes counted among Japan’s three major festivals.
The sky today is a perfect May blue—ideal weather for cycling. If you have a moment, come along with me for the ride.
Table of Contents
Charging up that Edo spirit in Nihonbashi
Soaking in Meiji Era vibes at Tokyo Station
A detour to Akihabara, the mecca of otaku culture
Kanda, where 108 mikoshi gather
First, I took the train to Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, a long-established department store in Nihonbashi. This store traces its roots back to the Mitsui family, one of the leading merchant families of the Edo period. In the lobby, they were holding a special exhibition on the Kanda Matsuri (*Now ended). Visitors could enjoy free displays of emakimono (illustrated handscrolls) and ukiyo-e prints depicting scenes from the festival during the Edo era.
The Celestial Maiden (true heart) Statue displayed in the lobby stands at an impressive height of about 11 meters. Despite its size, it exudes a graceful presence that welcomes visitors without being imposing. On weekends, free pipe organ concerts are also held in this lobby—a heartwarming gesture that reflects the company’s spirit of magokoro (true heart), especially appreciated in these times of rising prices.
Next door at the Mitsui Memorial Museum, a special exhibition of renowned swords was being held to coincide with the Kanda Matsuri. The exhibit featured a rich collection of antique swords, suits of armor, and illustrated scrolls depicting warriors. The intricately decorated swords from the peaceful Edo period were especially captivating. Many visitors appeared to be tourists from overseas.
With my Edo spirit fully charged, I was ready to go. I rented a nearby docomo bike share.
For visitors from overseas, here’s how to rent one:
I made a stop at Tokyo Station by bike. This iconic building from the Meiji era, designed by Tatsuno Kingo—known as the “father of modern Japanese architecture”—exudes the refined atmosphere of Japan’s early modernization.
Looking back from Tokyo Station, you’ll see the Imperial Palace at the end of Gyoko-dori Avenue. As you may know, this site—once the castle of the Tokugawa shogunate—became the residence of the Imperial Family during the Meiji era.
The 5-kilometre path around the palace’s moat is lined with wide sidewalks, making it a popular route for runners, commonly known as the “Imperial Palace Run.”
On certain days, visitors can tour parts of the palace grounds, either by making a reservation in advance or registering on the day.
For more information, please click here.
After about 15 minutes of riding, I arrived in Akihabara—Japan’s mecca of otaku culture. I visited the “Tamashii NATIONS STORE,” a shop by Bandai known for its anime and toy collectibles. The store features highly detailed action figures of iconic characters such as Ultraman, Gundam, and Dragon Ball. Photography is allowed in most areas of the shop, so I happily snapped away, feeling like a kid again. For travelers, these figures could make for great souvenirs.
A short ride from Akihabara brought me into a massive crowd—and for good reason. Today is the highlight of the Kanda Festival: Mikoshi Miyairi, the grand procession where mikoshi (portable shrines) from all 108 neighborhood associations in the Kanda area gather and enter the shrine.
With major streets closed off to traffic, each community proudly parades its mikoshi down the boulevard. On this day, no fashion statement can compete with the stylish happi coats worn by the mikoshi bearers.
The crowd was so dense that I couldn’t move freely, so I returned my bike at a nearby port. From there, I continued on foot toward Kanda Myojin Shrine, enjoying the lively street atmosphere along the way.
Incidentally, many of the neighborhood associations participating in the Kanda Festival still go by their old Edo-period names, which adds a nostalgic charm to the event. The association from the area where I used to live proudly called itself Asahicho, its historical name. I suddenly remembered a moment from my childhood—when I was carrying a mikoshi as a grade schooler, a classmate I had never spoken to cheered me on from the roadside. I felt a little shy, but it’s a fond memory.
Kanda Myojin is a shrine dedicated to historical figures such as Taira no Masakado, a renowned warrior and early symbol of the samurai spirit. As the guardian deity of Kanda’s 108 neighborhoods, the shrine is still affectionately known by locals as Myojin-sama.
Today, Myojin-sama is alive with energy—the grounds are packed with visitors and filled with the thunderous chants of “Wasse, wasse!” as each neighborhood’s mikoshi makes its grand entrance. Even just watching, you can feel the intensity and heat of the moment. A big thank you and otsukaresama to all the mikoshi bearers who carried the shrines throughout the day.
Just as I was about to head home for some soba, I suddenly remembered something I hadn’t done yet, so I rented a share bike again. I visited the Kubizuka (burial mound of the head) of Taira no Masakado, tucked between the skyscrapers of Otemachi.
Since visiting Kanda Myojin for worship wasn’t possible today due to the mikoshi procession, I thought it would be nice to pay my respects here instead. I praised myself for the great idea—but it seemed many others had the same thought, as the place was quite crowded.
This site is said to be where Masakado’s severed head fell after his defeat in battle. When I visited long ago, it felt quite small and modest, but now it has been rebuilt and is much larger and cleaner. The site is steeped in various legends, so if you enjoy supernatural stories, it’s definitely worth a visit.
After paying my respects at the Kubizuka, I headed to Kanda Yabu Soba, a long-established soba shop in Kanda Awajicho founded in 1880. I returned my bike to a nearby port and met up with a friend, and we enjoyed some drinks alongside our soba.
Being able to drink without worrying about the ride home—that’s the real advantage of share bikes. As I savored the flavors, I found myself quietly appreciating this simple pleasure, a true connoisseur of good food and drink.
Text & Illustration_Shitamachi Kombu
🚴♂️Articles by Shitamachi Kombu🚴♂️
Tokyo old town bicycle stroll 01
Collecting “Goshuin” (temple or shrine stamps) in the Yanesen area
Tokyo old town bicycle stroll 02
Hokusai bicycle stroll
#01 Birth to Teens
#02 20s to 40s
#03 50s and Beyond
Tokyo old town bicycle stroll 03
Kanda Matsuri (Festival)
Profile
Shitamachi Kombu
Weekend writer. Born in Kanda, Tokyo, and the third generation “Edokko” (Tokyoite). Interested in rediscovering the shitamachi (oldtown) area. Relies on an electric bicycle daily as a commuting companion. Suffers from a poor sense of direction. A fan of essayist Sadao Shouji. Writing under the pen name “Shitamachi Kombu,” inspired by the classic snack “Miyako (downtown) Kombu.”
Post Date：2025.06.06
