An interesting festival was held in odd-numbered years.

Held in mid-May, the Kanda Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three most famous festivals, along with the Sanno Matsuri and Fukagawa Matsuri. The full version of the festival takes place only in odd-numbered years, while a highly simplified "shadow festival" is held in even-numbered years without attracting the attention of tourists. The Kanda Festival consists of numerous events held over an entire week, but the main action usually happens over the weekend closest to May 15. The highlights are a day-long procession through central Tokyo on Saturday, and parades of portable shrines (mikoshi) by the various neighborhoods on Sunday.

The Kanda Matsuri is the festival of the Kanda Myojin Shrine which enshrines three deities: Daikokuten, the god of good harvest and matrimony; Ebisu, the god of fishermen and businessmen; and Taira Masakado, a feudal lord of the 10th century who was revered and deified. Over the years, the Kanda Festival came to be a celebration of the wealth and good fortune of the people.