Witness the Sanja Matsuri festival in Tokyo

It’s time to get your Genki on as it’s once again the time for Tokyo’s biggest and wildest festival, Sanja Matsuri! The festival, a celebration dedicated to the three founders of Sensoji Temple, is held on the third full weekend in May. If you’re in town at a Tokyo Serviced Apartment like the renowned Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo, be sure to head over to Asakusa and witness this great spectacle where 100 Mikoshi (portable shrines of Shinto gods) are carried around in a magnificent parade.

The festival, which is held from the 15th to the 17th of May this year, is said to attract a staggering 2 million visitors. About 100 Mikoshi are paraded by teams who compete with each other to be the most Genki (most energetic and healthy). The festival features many dances, mikoshi events, Geisha appearances and performances by Yakuza members who proudly show off their impressive tattoos which sometimes cover their whole body.