The first of three days of celebrations of the Sanja Festival, in Asakusa district, in Tokyo, Japan, May 18th 2012. The Sanja Matsuri, or Sanja Festival, is held annually in May, and is considered one of the three great Edo festivals of Tokyo. The procession on the first day of the festival is known as Daigyoretsu and consists of traditional dancers, musicians and performers. The women dressed as white egret birds were taking part in the Shirasagi-jinji event (the ritual holy event of cranes), and performed a dance known as Shirasagi-no-mai (the egret's dance). The dance was initially known for getting rid of bad luck, but now is performed to carry on the tradition of Heian-era's graceful culture.
{}