I'm here with the Komagata Team

and I will be filming some pretty cool stuff today

It's the last day so the 3 big mikoshi are out

So I'm excited to see those

I was here yesterday as well but I only got to see the small shrines

So, fun!

Sanja Matsuri is the biggest festival in Tokyo and is known for getting pretty rowdy!

Neighbourhoods around the temple are separated into teams called "choukai"

with each having their own mikoshi

Shinto followers believe that mikoshi serve as a vehicle to transport deities between shrines

So everyone fights to try to get in to carry the mikoshi

This is why Sanja Matsuri can get a little intense!

How many years have you been doing the Sanja festival?

I did Sanja for the first time in 2007

What was your most memorable Sanja experience?

It was probably my first year

I was just sitting, watching and some guy just picked me up and took off his hanten

He put it on me, and pushed me in and I've kinda been in love with it ever since

Why is today considered the climax of the festival?

Sunday is like everything

The day where they bring out the 3 main mikoshi

the three main mikoshi get passed around the areas

Everyone like jumps in, fights to be a part of it

So much passion, so much excitement

and the day just ends with everyone drinking, it's a great time

Yakuza used to be one of the biggest parts of Sanja matsuri, and this would have been a common sight

But because of recent tightening of rules you won't be seeing many people proudly displaying tattoos anymore

I got the chance to carry one of the three larger main mikoshi

Some of the mikoshi weigh nearly 1000 pounds

Sanja matsuri attracts around 2 million visitors each year.

Definitely an event I would recommend checking out!

How was it?

Awesome! Good work out

It was cool

Today was your first time participating in the Sanja Matsuri! How was it?

So much fun! I've never done anything like this, even in my hometown

so it's a really exciting first experience for me!

What did you enjoy the most?

Carrying the mikoshi was the best!

It was scary! It's not that hard, but

you're being pulled in a thousand directions

and getting pushed around, but it's really fun!

Alright guys, now for the after Sanja meal of dojou or loaches

I think I like the sound of them better in Japanese

They are small fish!

We're going to take some and put them on our dish

and add some green onions and some sanshou or "Japanese pepper"

Let's give them a shot!

Ooo I love gobou (burdock root)

The name of this shop is Komagata Dozeu

This shop has been around for 200 years! In this exact same spot

and I'm pretty excited to try it

Do you like sanshou?

I love sanshou!

Alright, I'll try a little piece

Mmmm loaches♡

They're really good, the name sounds horrible but they're yummy!

Really subtle flavour, I thought they were gonna be super fishy. But not at all!

The festival is finished off with a chant called "kiyari"

Alright I hope you guys enjoyed that!

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and I will see you guys soon, bye!