Floats of Monkey, Cuckoo, and Minamoto at Akasaka Hikawa Shrine 赤坂氷川神社の山車（猿、閑古鳥、源頼義）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are floats at Akasaka Hikawa Shrine in Tokyo. On the right is a cuckoo, which represents peace; in the center is a monkey, regarded as a messenger of the gods; and on the left is Yoriyoshi Minamoto (988–1075), a leader of the Minamoto clan.

Many shrines and temples in Tokyo once held these festive floats but lost most of them to the Great Kanto Earthquake, World War II, and the discontinuation of local festivals. The Akasaka Hikawa Shrine is no exception. Though it once organized a parade of 13 floats to protect the community, four were lost over time. Today, only nine remain, including the three pictured here. (Source: Akasaka Float Preservation Society)

 

Floats of Akasaka Hikawa shrine; "Yoriyoshi (left)," "Monkey (center)," and "Cuckoo"
赤坂氷川神社の山車 左から「源頼義」、「猿」、「閑古鳥」

A monkey is on top of the right float 右が「猿」の山車

Posted on 12/19/2021

Revised on 11/6/2026

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赤坂氷川神社の「源頼義」、「猿」、「閑古鳥」の山車です。祇園祭は山鉾（つまり山車）巡行で知られていますが、同じようなものが東京にもあったんですね。知りませんでした。もともとは13体あったそうですが、関東大震災、戦争、祭りの廃止などでや今は9体にまで減ってしまったそうです。

初稿　12/19/2021

改訂　11/6/2026

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