Darkness Festival
Kurayami Matsuri is one of Tokyo’s most popular festivals and one with a rich and long history with roots that extend as far back as the 11th century. The draw today is the fact that the festival’s main events take place in the dark (as you might have guessed from the name). This is because long ago it was believed that sacred things should not be seen with the naked eye. Today the festival attracts over 700,000 visitors over the course of the week and in 2010 it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tokyo. The main events take place over May 3–6, but rituals to prepare for the event take place from April 30.
30 April
From 1:00 PM, the priests and those who will participate in the festival cleanse themselves with water from the sea at Shinagawa (a ritual known as Shio-fumi) and take this sacred water back to Okunitama Shrine to be used during the festival ceremonies.
1 May
Prayers for dry weather and safety during the festival are offered at the shrine from 9:30 AM.
2 May
From 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM, the eight mirrors that are used on the portable shrines (mikoshi) are cleansed with salt because it is believed that the mirror reflects not only your physical self, but the spirit within, and so by cleansing the mirrors you are also cleansing those that will carry the mikoshi.
3 May
Between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM, eight floats parade along the street. This is followed by a horse procession called komakurabe, whereby the speed, prowess, and obedience of the horses are displayed. Six horses make three round trips up the 150-meter stretch of road known as the Baba-saki.
4 May
The first full day of the festival. Processions take place from 9:00 AM and the day culminates in a parade of 24 lantern-laden floats between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
5 May
Events start in the morning, but the main event of the festival—the Mikoshi-togyo—begins at 6:00 PM when eight portable shrines are carried through the darkened streets to the beat of massive taiko drums. These shrines are moved to the otabisho (a temporary resting place), where they remain for the night.
6 May
The festival concludes with the Mikoshi-kangyo. At 4:00 AM, the eight mikoshi depart from the otabisho to begin their final procession back to the Okunitama Shrine. By approximately 8:00 AM, all the shrines have returned to the main building. At 9:00 AM, the Shunka-sai ritual is performed as a closing ceremony to offer thanks for the safety of the festival and to officially bring the week-long observance to an end.