Meiji Jingu Spring Grand Festival

One of the most popular and well-known shrines in Tokyo, Meiji Jingu will host its annual Grand Spring Festival. The festival celebrates the changing season and features a wide variety of traditional events from solemn ceremonies to lively performances. The main event sees the shrine maidens perform “Urayasu-no-Mai”, a kagura (sacred dance) based on a poem written by Emperor Showa, praying for peace around the world. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a variety of performance arts on the stage in front of the shrine building to honor the deities.

Performances include noh and kyogen theatre, hogaku and hobu classical dance, and traditional Japanese music such as bugaku, sankyoku and satsuma biwa. Daily events and performance times vary.

Image: © Jan via Flickr under CC