A Bird’s Eye View of Edo
Tokyo finds its origin in a city originally called “Edo” that flourished in the early modern period (i.e., Edo period) in the area in between the eastern end of the Musashino Plateau and Tokyo Bay, Japan. After Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo in 1590, he excavated canals and reclaimed the inlets of Tokyo Bay to develop towns for people to live in. This was the beginning of Edo, which evolved into one of the largest metropolises in the world. Edo consisted of a plateau section (Yamanote) and lowlands (Shitamachi): Yamanote was crowded with samurai residences while Shitamachi was for merchants and other commoners. Read more on how to experience the life in Edo in the post "A day trip from Tokyo to Little Edo in Kawagoe".
Kanda Jinja Shrine (Kanda Myoujin Shrine) is found where the plateau and the lowlands meet, and this lowland area was where economics and cultural activities flourished in Edo.
Nihonbashi was part of this lowland area where many business establishments were in operation, including Isehan, the only surviving manufacturer of beni (red cosmetic pigment made from safflower petals) founded in 1825 (present day, Isehan Holdings, which operates the Beni Museum), Ibasen, a wholeseler of fans from early Edo period, and other wholesaling businesses. The Kanda, Nihonbashi, and Ginza area was the business center of Edo and Nihombashi still serves as the “mile zero” (starting point) of major arterial roads in Japan today. It was close to Ueno, where Shinobazu Pond and Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple are located, as well as Yoshiwara (Shin Yoshiwara), Edo’s licensed red-light district. Asakusa where Senso-ji Temple is located (read more about Senso-ji Temple & Asakusa Nakamise shopping Street in the post "1-Day, everything-in-1 tour of Tokyo’s top spots"), and the Sumida River which flows on the east side.
With all these notable places in the neighborhood, locals enjoyed nature and seasonal events in their own way.
A short introduction to the life of people during the Edo period
A city and its dwellers do not show the same face every day. For festivals and other special events, lanterns and other decorations adorn the streets and people dress up in special outfits suitable for the occasion.
In Edo (old Tokyo), a variety of festivals and events were hold – from large ones involving processions of decorated floats and costumed people at large shrines, such as Hie-jinja Shrine and Kanda-jinja Shrine, to those at small regional shrines. In the Meiji era, and afterwards, such embellishments were expanded to other types of events. For example, streets were decorated and floats paraded when landmarks events took place, such as the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889. Styles of outfits also underwent changes over the years.
Here are presented selected pieces of art themed on how the city of Edo and its residents flamboyantly fashioned themselves for a change from everyday life on special days to highlight the culture and customs of the Edo people associated with festivals. The museum collected exhibits mainly from Kanda-jinja Shrine and some museal collections.
The Four Seasons of Edo
Today in Tokyo, many events take place in each of the four seasons. These include Hatsu-uma Festivals held mostly in February at Inari shrines in various places, the Sanno Festival at Hie-jinja Shrine (in Chiyoda City) in June, the Kanda Festival at Kanda-jinja Shrine (in Chiyoda City) in May on alternate years, and the Tori-no-Ichi Festivals in November at Ootori-jinja Shrine (in Taito City) and other shrines. People associate these events with the seasons, along with the viewing of seasonal flowers and plants, such as cherry blossoms at Ueno Park (in Taito City) and along the Sumida River (in Taito and Sumida cities), and the ginkgo trees of the outer garden of the Meiji Jingu Shrine (in Minato Cito). When these events are occasionally suspended for various reasons, some people feel they miss the opportunity to experience the season.
Some events that began in the Edo period have survived by making changes in their event dates and content to accommodate the changing times or local situations. Just like today, the people of Edo dressed up to visit shrines and attend events, and to view cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
These seasonal events and the spectators were great colorful additions to the city’s scenery, and they pronounced the arrival of each season.
The Kanda Matsuri Festival – is all about Floats and Costumes
Kanda-jinja Shrine (Kanda Myojin Shrine) located in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, is said to have been founded in 730 CE. Three deities are enshrined: Oonamuchi-no-Mikoto, Sukunahikoma-no-Mikoto and Tairanomasakado-no-Mikoto. Held biennially in mid-May, the Kanda Festival had been the government’s official event during the Edo period, along with the Sanno Festival at Hie-jinja Shrine held in June. These festivals were later called “tenka-matsuri” because the processions were permitted to enter the Edo Castle for viewing by the shogun and shogun’s wife.
These processions consisted mainly of mikoshi (portable shrines), dashi (decorated floats) that were presented by the towns in Kanda, costumed people, large, decorated structures and other elaborate displays, as well as Shinto priests and security people. Various displays and decorated floats were highlights of the festival that were especially favored by the spectators. Guidebooks were even published to assist the visitors in enjoying the festival.
The Kanda Festival is still going today, although the dates have moved from September to May, and the makeup of the processions’ participants and displays have changed.
Festivals in Modern Times
In Tokyo today, we see many mikoshi presented by local communities called “machi-mikoshi” (lit. town’s portable shrines) at festivals organized by shrines. And do not forget to participate in a late-May Sanja Matsuri Festival in Asakusa! While shrines have been produced since the Edo period, the production of “machi-mikoshi” is said to have begun at the end of the Meiji era. As explained earlier, decorated floats and various displays had been highlights of festivals. This trend changed gradually, however, due to changes in the governance of the towns and their finances, and the installation of power lines in the Meiji era and onwards which interfered with the movement of floats. These changes resulted in reduced numbers of floats at festivals in Tokyo, and these were given over to festivals in wealthier cities in the Kanto region.
However, there were towns in Tokyo that continued to present decorated floats at their events. Some of these events are the subject of Nishiki-e (Ukiyo-e) depicting such events as the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889, and the 300th anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s entry into Edo in the same year. Also, the floats were put on display at the Manseibashi Bridge to celebrate the victory of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. In modern times, as Japan became a modern state, decorated floats were used for events different from those of the Edo period. These evolutions were also closely associated with how people redefined the Edo culture and added new meaning to it.
People Dressing Up – Fashion for Festive Days
Festivals held in different seasons and events making special occasions are closely connected to clothing, food, housing, and other aspects of Japanese culture. Many ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) are themed on crowds enjoying festive days in Edo (old Tokyo) because these prints, first produced in Edo, were targeted at commoners living in the city. After techniques to produce Nishiki-e (multi-color woodblock prints) were developed in the mid-half of the 18th century, the level of precision in rendering outfits and scenery was elevated with the help of color. In the 19th century and onwards, when Persian blue chemical dye was imported and the red pigments from the West became popular in the Meiji era, ukiyo-e works instantly became flamboyant as well.
As society changed rapidly and information about Western culture flooded in, people became deeply interested in the fashion and customs of the new era, and the fashions depicted in ukiyo-e significantly changed. In 1883, the Rokumeikan (Western-style government guest house) was built, and when upper-class began socializing wearing Western clothes, the number of art works depicting people in Western outfits also increased. Ukiyo-e served as a medium for communicating the latest trends as well as for the look of these modern "festive days”. In some selected pictures, you are able to see fashions for special days, including the attire and facial make-up considered as fashionable at the time of enjoying “hare-no-hi” (festive days), and the lifestyles people dreamed of living.
Admire the Japanese culture and tradition mixed with some religious and Western influences and have a brief insight into the life of old Tokyo’s people from 19th century. Then, plan your visit in the Kabukiza Theatre in Ginza. Finaly, participate in a traditional Japanse tea ceremony and enjoy an original matcha tea or try other Japanese tea types like sencha or gyokuro.
Date: 2025-04-29
Author: Beti – A passionate traveler and lover of Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Japanese dishes, Bernadeta brings her culinary and cultural experiences to life in her writing. Beyond her travels, she’s an avid technology enthusiast with a deep interest in data processing, merging her love for exploration with analytical insights.
Photographer: Adalbert – An aficionado of computers and photography, Adalbert captures the essence of diverse cuisines with a discerning eye. A connoisseur of rich flavors and particularly fond of meat-based dishes, he combines his technical skills with his passion for the culinary arts in every shot.
