The Kanda Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three most famous festivals, along with the Sanja Matsuri and the Sanno Matsuri. It takes place in mid May in odd numbered years, alternating with the Sanno Matsuri which is held in even numbered years. The Kanda Festival consists of numerous events held over an entire week, but the main action happens over the weekend closest to May 15. The highlights are a daylong procession through central Tokyo on Saturday, and parades of portable shrines (mikoshi) by the various neighborhoods on Sunday. The Kanda Matsuri is the festival of the Kanda Myojin Shrine which enshrines three deities: Daikokuten - the god of good harvest and matrimony, Ebisu - the god of fishermen and businessmen, and Taira Masakado - a feudal lord of the 10th century who was revered and deified. Over the years, the Kanda Festival came to be a celebration for the wealth and good fortune of the people.
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