Tokyo is a magnificent city, where the stone jungles merge with ancient temples, latest technologies - with the ageless traditions, rich history - with futuristic prospects and innovations. Traditional folk festivals and cultural events are celebrated on a grand scale here. Festivals are accompanied by colorful folk performances, where the fun atmosphere reigns. Perhaps, the most popular and anticipated event in Tokyo is the traditional Sakura Matsuri Festival. With the advent of spring, all the inhabitants of Tokyo postpone their worries and dedicate some time to meditate on the cherry blossom. The Sakura Matsuri Festival takes place at the end of March and has a thousand-year history. The Hanami tradition has a deep religious meaning for the Japanese. Looking at the flying pink petals, you should think about the transience of life and its beauty. Despite the strict labor discipline in Japan, every employer necessarily provides his employees with time for performing khan ritual. The most famous place in the whole Japan for admiring sakura is the Ueno Park in Tokyo's Taito district. At the beginning of spring, around nine thousand cherry trees of different varieties bloom here at the same time.
Perhaps, the most interesting traditional holiday is the Sanja Matsuri or the Sanja Festival, which clearly shows how to combine a fun carnival procession and a religious ritual in harmony. This is a temple festival, held annually from Friday to Sunday of the third week of May. The festival begins on Friday afternoon with the Daigioretsu parade. A large procession of priests, city officials, geishas, musicians, and dancers, dressed in traditional Edo clothing, moves along the central streets to the temple of Asakusa. The religious Shinto ceremony, followed by the traditional dances and prayers for harvest and prosperity, ends the celebration. Moreover, you will be able to experience the special holiday event organized by the representatives of the notorious criminal clan - Yakuza, who are proudly exposed to showcase their numerous tattoos. If you are going to Tokyo in August, be sure to visit the Asakusa Samba Carnival - one of the brightest street carnivals in Japan. Every summer, this eclectic festival gathers up to half a million spectators in the streets of Tokyo.
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