Shitaya Jinja (下谷神社) is a Shinto shrine which is a 2-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Inaricho Station or a 5-minute walk from Toei Oedo Line Shin-okachimachi Station. It is also a 6-minute walk from JR Yamanote Line Ueno Station. For details about this shrine, see the article on Shitaya Shrine.The Reitaisai, or the annual grand festival, of Shitaya Shrine is held in mi-May.

Reitaisai at Shitaya Jinja

Generally speaking, a Shinto shrine holds one or two Reitaisai, or grand festival(s), a year. Here at Shitaya Jinja, it's held on the weekend closest to May 11.
There will be many stalls around the shrine, and the local communities around the shrine parade with their mikoshi (portable shrines).
On Sunday, the mikoshi owned by the shrine itself -larger than any other mikoshi which belong to the communities- also makes a procession all day through the territory the shrine protects. The shrine's mikoshi will be carried by hand in even-numbered years, and carried on dolly in odd-numbered years.

Joint mikoshi procession

From around 7pm to 8pm of Saturday, a joint parade of community-owned mikoshi is conducted in the evening darkness every year.

Procession of shrine-owned mikoshi in even-numbered years

In even-numbered years, the mikoshi owned by the Shrine is carried by hand in its procession all day long on Sunday.

Procession of shrine-owned mikoshi in odd-numbered years

In odd-numbered years, the mikoshi owned by the Shrine is carried on dolly in its procession all day long on Sunday.