The oldest temple in Tokyo.
Though the temple has the same characters as “Asakusa”, it is read “Senso-ji”, not “Asakusa-dera”.
In the year 628, 2 fishermen (brothers), built Senso-ji to enshrine the the bodhisattva of mercy and salvation after going out to nearby Sumida River and catching a statue of the bodhisattva Kannon with a net.
Then, in 942, an influential general by the name of Taira no Kimimasa constructed a complete seven-structured temple compound and established Kaminarimon (outer gate) and Hozomon (inner gate).
Thereafter, Senso-ji grew in prominence for making miracles happen, worshiped mostly by military leaders and receiving strong support from the Tokugawa Shogunate that lead it to prosperity.
With the support of the 3rd generation Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu (1623–1651), the five-storied pagoda and main hall were reconstructed in 1648 and 1649 respectively.
Though there were no damages caused by any disasters since the reconstruction, the Great Tokyo Air Raid by the American military on March 10, 1945 devastated all of the buildings, burning them all to the ground.
Asakusa was the center of the bombing attacks when Tokyo’s downtown area was hit during the Great Tokyo Air Raid, which left 100,000 civilians dead.
After World War II, donations from the Imperial family, business owners, and citizens helped rebuild and restore the temple to prosperity to its pre-war form.
Today, Asakusa and Senso-ji are as lively as ever.
Each year, more than 2.8 million people visit the temple during Hatsumode – the first visit to the temple at the beginning of the new year – which ranks 4th or 5th nationally.
It’s extremely crowded during this time.
Below is the recommended route when visiting Senso-ji.
1.Kaminarimon (“Thunder Gate”)
Kaminarimon is a large eight pillared gate with a gable roof that stands at the entrance of Senso-ji.
Raijin (God of Thunder) and Fujin (God of Wind) – standing on the left and right of the gate – and a large Japanese lantern hanging in the center, are what make Kaminarimon distinct.
It is an instantly recognizable gate often featured in Tokyo guide books.
If you are a proper tourist, taking photos here is a must.
The gate has been destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly since 942 – when it was first constructed.
After being destroyed by a fire in 1865, a temporary gate was built in place until 1960, when donations from Panasonic founder and business man, Konosuke Matsushita, made it possible to rebuild the gate with reinforced concrete.
The two vibrant and lively statues you see as you approach the gate, measuring 2.1–2.2 meters tall, are of Raijin (God of Thunder), standing on the left, and Fujin (God of Wind), presented on the right.
You’ll notice Raijin shouldering a thunder drum, where as Fujin carries a large bag capable of creating gusts of wind.
The massive Japanese lantern (“dai chochin”) has a height of approximately 3.9 meters, is 3.3 meters wide, and weighs 700 kg.
Engraved on the base of the lantern is a dragon that is said to have the power to “call forth clouds and make it rain.”
2. Nakamise Dori (Nakamise Shopping Street)
Nakamise Dori is the 250 meter long street leading up to the temple, lined with shops on both sides.
The street has over 300 years of history to it making it the oldest shopping town in Japan.
With close to 90 shops and large numbers of tourists crowding the street and shops, it’s almost as if a festival is taking place.
You’ll find plenty of shops selling souvenirs suitable as “traditional Japanese gifts,” but there are also food stands (steamed buns, dango dumplings, amazake, fried rice crackers, etc) here and there selling snacks for ¥100–¥300, that are must try.
3. Hozomon (Treasure House Gate)
Standing as the main gate to Senso-ji, Hozomon is a two-storied gate 21.7 meters high with a hip-and-gable roof structure.
It was once known as Niomon (Deva Gate), however, ever since the complete collection of Buddhist scriptures – the treasure of the temple – was stored on the second floor in 1964, it had been renamed to “Treasure House Gate,” or in Japanese, Hozomon.
2 statues of Deva Kings stand on both sides of the gate with a massive lantern, as big as the one at Kaminarimon, hanging in the middle.
On the back side of the gate are 2 gigantic straw sandals measuring 4.5 meters tall, 1.5 meters wide, and weighing 500 kg, on each side.
These sandals, called waraji, have the meaning of protection against evil influences or harm, and every 10 years new sandals are dedicated.
A true tourist must take photos at this gate too.
Having burned down from the Great Tokyo Air Raid in 1945, Yonetaro Otani (1881–1968), the founder of the 5 star hotel Hotel New Otani and businessman, donated funds to have the gate rebuilt in 1965 with reinforced concrete.
On a side note, you get a great view of Tokyo Skytree from here.
4. Five Storied Pagoda
The 53 meters tall vermillion colored pagoda is a beautiful sight and a romantic scene when lit up at night (between sunset at 11pm, everyday).
On the top floor rests bone remnants of Buddha when brought over from Sri Lanka in 1966.
Founded in 942, the pagoda was later destroyed by fires and rebuilt in 1648.
Because it was destroyed again by fires from the Great Tokyo Air Raid in 1945, it was rebuilt in 1973 with reinforced concrete.
5. Omizuya
To the front right of the main hall sits a wash basin placed there in 1964.
Standing in the middle of basin is the imposing statue of Sagara Dragon King, and with the water coming out from the 8 dragon heads surrounding the king, you purify yourself before entering the main hall and praying.
Take scoop of water with the ladle and follow these steps to be purified: pour it on your left hand, right hand, and in your mouth.
Don’t forget to look above you and check out the black and white dragon painting on the ceiling.
6. Jokoro
Located right in front of the main temple Jokoro is an incense burning spot to purify oneself.
Waft the smoke to parts of your body that are not well and it is supposed to heal or get better.
Try for yourself, pad the smoke on your head or face like many do.
You can purchase a bundle of incense nearby for ¥100, but many people just “borrow” the smoke from others.
7. Main Hall
The principal object of worship in the main hall is the giant statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy and salvation.
It stands 29.4 meters high, 34.4 meters wide, and 32.7 meters front to back.
What makes the structure of the main hall unique is the 72 thousand roof tiles used on the steep slope of the hip-and-gable roof structure.
The main hall was rebuilt in 1958 after burning down from the Great Tokyo Air Raid in 1945.
Inside, you’ll find a 3 large paintings, one of a dragon in the middle, and angles on the left and right.
Be sure to have a look while visiting.
Since you are here, go ahead and make a prayer.
Sensjo-ji is well-known for making your prayers come true.
Throw some money in the donation box, and just by putting your hands together and making a prayer, amazingly, you will feel like it’ll come true.
8. Yogodo
To the northeast of the main hall (further up on the left side) is Yogodo, a hip roofed building built in 1994, so it’s rather brand new.
Standing to the left of Yogodo is Rokkakudo, a hexagonal hall built in 1618 and the oldest structure on the temple grounds.
9. Fortune-telling Paper (Omikuji)
Known as “Kannon’s 100 slots” the fortune telling system goes like this: draw 1 stick from a round box containing 100 sticks and a number will be written on it.
Go to the drawer with that number on it and pull out 1 sheet of paper, which will have your fortune explained to you.
Be warned though, Senso-ji is known to give out a much higher number of bad fortunes in comparison to other temples – according to the temple’s data, 30% of the fortunes are bad.
If you are one to believe in fortune telling and happen to get a bad message, be sure to follow the directions and tie the paper after reading it.
