Legend has it that back in the 7th century, two fishermen found a statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in their nets while on the Sumida River. Taking it as a sign, the local populace built a temple in honor of the discovery. Despite repeatedly burning down throughout the centuries, the temple, called Senso-ji by the locals, has always been reconstructed into a bigger and stronger structure, thus making it the oldest temple in Tokyo.

Senso-ji is the center of an area called Shitamachi (literally, “low town”), due to the low elevation surrounding the Sumida River. Shitamachi used to be the entertainment center of Tokyo, until nearby Shinjuku and other districts developed their own rival establishments. The area has many traditional buildings, having escaped destruction from World War II bombings unlike its neighboring districts.

Despite the tall trees and multi-storied buildings in the area, the five-story pagoda of the Senso-ji is already visible at a distance. The temple boundary is marked with huge red doors, upon which an enormous red lantern hangs. This is Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, which is said to be a portal between the human world and the spirit realm. Rows of white lanterns adorn one side of the path towards the main temple, while chrysanthemums and other lovely flowers are cultivated on the other side.

The temple itself is an impressive wooden structure, predominantly red in color. Crimson banners and lanterns hang across the main entranceways. Before proceeding into the main hall, visitors and worshipers must cleanse themselves of impurities by washing their hands and mouths with the fountain with many ladles. Besides the fountain, a bronze incense burner releases waves of heady smoke. Worshipers immerse themselves in this smoke, as it is said to cure all sorts of illnesses. The original statue of Kannon is believed to be within the gold-plated shrine inside the main hall of the temple.

A popular activity in Asakusa Temple is the drawing of fortune slips, called Omikuji. People first deposit money into a coin box, shake it, and then reverse it until a tag falls out.  The tag contains a number which corresponds to a drawer. Each drawer has a year’s worth of fortune written on slips in both Japanese and English. A good fortune can be kept as a personal souvenir, whereas an ill fortune had better be clipped to a fence nearby to ward off bad luck. Amulets and charms are also available inside the main hall.

After visiting the temple, people can enjoy Nakamise, an vibrant alley composed of some 200 stores selling Japanese arts and crafts dating back to the Edo Period, such as yukatas, fans, and metalworks. The Nakamise ends at the temple’s second gate, known as Hozomon. There are also food stalls selling traditional favorites like Yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) and Takoyaki (octopus dumplings).

The Senso-ji can easily be reached via the Tokyo subway, using the Ginza and Asakusa lines. A good time to visit the temple is during the religious festivals, such as the Sanja Matsuri (festival) in May and the Hozuki-ichi (ground cherry market) in July.

Posted in Attractions, Japan

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