Don’t Go There Now! Once You Enter, There’s No Turning Back! New Year’s Day at Asakusa Sensoji
On January 1, 2025, I visited Asakusa Sensoji Temple for the traditional New Year’s pilgrimage (Hatsumode). While the morning crowd was manageable, the afternoon turned into an overwhelming sea of people.
Once inside, the congestion made it nearly impossible to move, creating a claustrophobic experience. Exiting the temple grounds didn’t bring relief either, as many streets were blocked, making it difficult to return to the starting point. By the time I finally escaped, the line to enter had grown unimaginably long—requiring at least a two-hour wait for those arriving later.
This video captures the intense crowd and the struggles of navigating through it. If you’re planning to visit, be sure to prepare for the wait, and don’t forget to use the restroom beforehand!
Feel free to watch this video in the background while doing something else—it’s a long long journey through the chaotic reality of New Year’s Day at Sensoji Temple.
Walking Route:
Date & Time: 2025/01/01 12:35 12°C/54°F
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Chapters
0:00 Tokyo Skytree
1:25 Kaminarimon Gate
3:00 Nakamise-dori Shopping Street
25:02 Five-Storied Pagoda & Hozomon Gate
45:52 Sensoji Temple
1:05:06 FINALLY!
1:11:03 Asakusa Hanayashiki Amusement Park
1:12:53 Hoppy St
1:19:51 CAUTION! STREET BLOCKED!
1:22:27 Shin Nakamise-dori Shopping Street
1:23:34 CAUTION! STREET BLOCKED!
1:28:15 CAUTION! STREET BLOCKED!
1:28:43 Hopelessly Long Line to Enter Sensoji Temple
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Recording Devices
Video:
・DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Audio:
・Roland Binaural Microphones CS-10EM
・Tascam DR-07MKII
18 Comments
Happy new year✌️
So many people, wow
Hi just found your channel and just subscribed ❤🥳
明けましておめでとうございます🎍
インフルエンザも凄い勢いで流行っているし…。
落ち着くのは来週あたりかなぁ？
初めて？コメント書いてますが、これからも応援してます🎉
東京行きたいなぁ…😊
I can’t wait to go not for new year 😂
oh my gosh, this insanity always happen every new year in asakusa because japanese people come to do their first praying of the year lol. Thank you once again for this video!!! please be careful, wear mask and stay healthy because alot of people are sick and catching flu from the crowd 😅 i hope you wont catch any flu from this!
💗💗💗 ASAKUSA
Hii PD ngapain sih 😮
Happy New Year everyone 🙂
Thank you for sharing ❤ Happy New Year from North Carolina USA 🎉🎉🎉
I understand why the Japanese would willingly brave the crowds for an important ritual. But I also see non-Japanese people in the crowds. The tourists could have chosen to go another day.
Sehr entspannt und gesellig. Sehr schön gemacht mit der Streckenverlegung durch die Stadt. Ich wünsche euch pure Entspannung und einen wunderschönen, fröhlichen Jahresbeginn und 01. Januar. 💐💐🌸🌸💮💮🎆🎉🎉🎊🎊🎎🎏🧨✨✨
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Emanuela Michelis
Tourists should use this day to visit other non crowded tourist spots lol
渋谷と違って、こっちは日本人ばかりだな。当たり前だが。警察の皆様正月よりお疲れ様です。
There is a HUGE sign right at the front of the temple that tells you NOT TO TOUCH the lanterns. This idiot and his friends completely ignored the sign, so disrespectfully touching the base of the lantern and proud of it too. If you can't keep your hands to yourself, don't go!
😮 Insanely crowded. I would avoid coming here on new year's day as a tourist! Thank you for sharing. You certainly must be sweating and enduring with all sorts of odour 😅. Happy New year 2025 to you & the viewers. 🇲🇾
Happy New Year (Hau’oli Makahiki Hou) from Hawaii🎊🎆🌺🧨🙏🏾🥁🪅🤙🎺🤾🏼🤾🏼🏄♀️🏄. Wow! Nice seeing the crowd!
Wow. I visited on a sakura season and thought it was crowded. ⛩️😮