A real portable shrine used in the Sanja Festival was on display in Asakusa Station

Portable shrine displayed in the Asakusa station

There are times when Asakusa is even more crowded than usual. It's during the Sanja Festival. At this time, more people than usual come to Asakusa to catch a glimpse of the excitement of the festival. The mikoshi (portable shrines) are then carried along the crowded streets.

You could say that the mikoshi is the star of the festival. Most of the spectators come to see the portable shrines that carry the invisible gods. However, there are only a few days in a year when the mikoshi parade through the city. Other than that, the mikoshi has no other role to play. It must be sitting in a warehouse or somewhere. As I arrived at Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line, I found a portable shrine on display in a corner of the station.

Behind the glass, there was a shiny gold mikoshi. It was a real mikoshi, used during the Sanja Festival. It was beautifully decorated with fine details. Apparently, it is displayed here quietly during the period when it is not in use. Even though it is displayed right near the ticket gate, there are few people who stop to look at the portable shrine. It seems that people want to see the portable shrines parading through the streets of Asakusa in the midst of the hustle and bustle, and not the ones displayed like in a museum.

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