Asakusa Temple.

,Sensoji Temple [Asakusa] – #TOKYO [Japan,東京淺草,도쿄 아사쿠사
TOKYO ASAKUSA,Sensoji Temple (Asakusa Kannon). Asakusa Shrine.Nitenmon Gate、雷門、

Sensoji Temple (Asakusa Kannon) – facts & travel tips 浅草寺
Sensoji is perhaps the most famous and photographed of Tokyo’s temples. It is the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital, and the five-story pagoda, trails of incense and vast eaves will take you back to a Tokyo of time gone by.

HomeSightseeing
In a city full of temples, Sensōji is the oldest, boasting almost one and a half millennia of history. It features Tokyo’s biggest souvenir market, as well as perhaps the gaudiest rendezvous point—its Kaminarimon Gate with the huge red chochin lantern. Sensōji Temple in Asakusa is just a 15-minute train ride from Tokyo Station (20 from Shinjuku, 30 from Shibuya or just 5 from Akihabara)—here’s what to know and how to explore the place.

HomeSightseeing
In a city full of temples, Sensōji is the oldest, boasting almost one and a half millennia of history. It features Tokyo’s biggest souvenir market, as well as perhaps the gaudiest rendezvous point—its Kaminarimon Gate with the huge red chochin lantern. Sensōji Temple in Asakusa is just a 15-minute train ride from Tokyo Station (20 from Shinjuku, 30 from Shibuya or just 5 from Akihabara)—here’s what to know and how to explore the place.

Jump to:
The History of Sensoji
The Layout of Sensoji: What to See
What’s Inside Sensoji?
Activities, Festivals and Tours at Sensoji
Sensoji’s Best Souvenirs
Where to Eat In and Around Sensoji
How to Get to Sensoji Temple

The history of Sensoji: It all started in the river
Sensōji Temple was the reason the insignificant village of Asakusa became a town. Ieyasu, the Tokugawa shogun who created the great city of Edo and made it Japan’s de facto capital in the early 1600s, saw in Sensōji a very convenient symbolism. Being the toughest warlord of his time, he needed all the help he could get from the gods and Buddhas. According to ancient geomancy, potential invaders come either from the northeast or the southwest, the front and rear “demon gates”. Sensōji Temple was the guardian of the northeast gate and Zojoji Temple in Shiba, near Tokyo Tower took care of the southwest; Ieyasu made them both his family temples.

The miraculous statue became a local legend and soon pilgrims from all over Japan started flocking in; some of them being distinguished Buddhist leaders and advertising their visits to their followers didn’t hurt either. The only thing missing was the support of the samurai and this came later during the 10th and 11th centuries when noble warlords from the powerful Taira and Minamoto families came to visit and help build/rebuild various parts of the temple complex. One of them, Taira no Kinmasa is responsible for both the Kaminarimon Gate and the second largest gate the Hozomon.

Sensōji Temple (and Asakusa—their stories always go together) really boomed during the Edo period, first when Ieyasu made it his family temple and even more so when he “decommissioned” it in 1625. With its status as “shogun’s temple” gone, the townspeople of the new city felt closer to it. When the authorities decided to move to its vicinity Edo’s already famous red-light district, Yoshiwara (this happened in 1657 because a fire had destroyed the original Yoshiwara near Nihonbashi), the crowds multiplied. Consequently, Asakusa became the city’s hub and Sensōji Temple became even bigger and wealthier. It was then that the temple as we know it today was first built, by Ieyasu’s grandson, Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa shogun.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Walking Tour
Join this food and walking tour and discover the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. Explore the outer market as you sample the area’s highest-quality delicacies and finger foods.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
The layout of Sensoji: What to see
Making your way from gate to temple is a pretty easy stroll, but there’s an incredible amount to see along the way, from gates to ancient shopping streets to intimidating statues.
0:00-0:43 Nitenmon Gate area
0:44-1:13 shop area
1:13- 2:48 temple area

Kanimarimon: The ancient gate

Photo by Grigoris Miliaresis
There are many ways to visit Sensōji and appreciate the temple and its surrounds, but the standard is to start from the Kaminarimon Gate and move up. The two statues guarding it are of the two rather obscure deities Fujin-sama and Raijin-sama, “god of wind” and “god of thunder and lightning” respectively. The latter (i.e. the left one) has given his name to the gate since another reading of “rai” is “kaminari”. Incidentally, this is what the characters on the big red lantern say: “Kaminarimon” or “thundergate”. When passing through the gate, check under the base of the lantern—you’ll find a dragon hiding there! This is because the official name of Sensōji Temple is “Kinryuzan” or “Golden Dragon Mountain”; the same thing is written on the green plate above the lantern.
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