The picture to your left is a view of what it is like in Asakusa during possibly the busiest 3 days of the year. The Asakusa Sanja Matsuri (三社祭 さんじゃまつり Three Shrine Festival), held on the 3rd week of every May, attracts around 2 million locals and tourists. It is considered one of the 3 great Shinto festivals in Tokyo (Shintoism being the primary “religion” in Japan… yeah I’ll post about that later too). If you are in Tokyo during the month of May, I definitely recommend you check this crazy event out!
Asakusa on any other day is about as quiet as anywhere else in Tokyo if not quieter, but over these 3 days it is absolutely packed beyond all comprehension. I was getting mowed down by Obaasan’s (おばあさん Old ladies) and they didn’t seem to care that I could have stepped on them if I wanted to. But there is literally NO room to move around, especially on the 3rd and final day as room has to be made for 神輿（みこし Mikoshi), the Portable Shinto shrines that each district proudly haul through the streets, while everyone stands there and gets their toes crushed.
An example of a Mikoshi is shown in the picture to your right. However pretty you might find it, I’d refrain from going near one and trying to snag a touch. Each Mikoshi is approximated to weigh in at around one ton, and costs around 40 million yen (approx. $400,000 USD). Not to mention it is lugged around by scary looking dudes like the one in this picture.
Don’t take my word for it, but I’ve heard that the majority of these festivities are run by Yakuza (ヤクザ Japanese organized gangs). So try to be careful about your valuables while visiting, and don’t step on the wrong person’s foot, because it could cost you. 
Check out the Asakusa gallery for the rest of the Sanja Matsuri Festival pictures I managed to take.
Also drop a line in the comments and tell me what you think of all this madness!
