Senso-ji (Senso-ji Temple)

Overview

Tradition holds that the temple was founded on March 18, 628 CE (Suiko 36), when two brothers, Hinomae Haminari and Takenari, who were fishing in the Sumida River, caught a statue of Kannon in their nets. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo. The primary deity is Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, affectionately known as the 'Kannon of Asakusa.' It serves as the head temple of the Sho-Kannon sect. The approach to the temple, which continues from the Fuurai-shinmon (Kaminarimon Gate) through the Nakamise shopping street to the Hozomon Gate, the Hondo (main hall), and the five-story pagoda, is one of Tokyo's premier sightseeing spots, overflowing with Edo-period atmosphere. It is a sacred site for Kannon worship visited by approximately 30 million people annually.

Highlights

• ・Kaminarimon (Fuurai-shinmon Gate) and the large lanterns
• ・Nakamise shopping street
• ・Hondo (Kannon-do) and the five-story pagoda
• ・Sanja Matsuri (the annual festival of Asakusa Shrine held in May)