The Sanno Festival is held annually around June 15.
In the Edo Period (1603-1867), the Tokugawa Shogun were pleased to honor the Sanno Festival with their presence because Hie Shrine housed the guardian deity of Edo. Three sacred palanquins, carrying three gods, entered the grounds of Edo Castle on festival days.
The procession consisted of 45 festival floats, with the three sacred palanquins taking the lead. The procession was followed by singers and dancers and was reputedly one of the best festivals in Tokyo. Sadly, the tall festival floats have not been able to travel the streets of Tokyo since 1885 due to street overpasses.
These days, the Jinko Festival is held every two years. The festival procession now consists of three portable shrines and hundreds of parishioners. It is customary for the festival procession to pass the Imperial Palace. The chief priest and a representative of the parishioners enter the Imperial Palace to offer their prayers for the peace, happiness, and prosperity of the imperial family. Hie Shrine is the only shrine in Japan honored with this privilege.
Wedding ceremonies are also conducted at Hie Shrine. The ceremony is conducted solemnly according Shinto rites.
