Senso-ji Tokyo’s Premier Temple

In the year AD 628, two fishermen working on the Sumida River found a small golden statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, in their nets. The master of their little village recognized the importance of the find, and promptly enshrined the statue in his own home. Some years later, Senso-ji was built, and in following centuries the temple grew in reputation, wealth and size. When Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo (old Tokyo) the center of his new government, he granted extensive lands to Senso-ji, and the temple became the most important in the new de-facto capital of the country.

The surrounding neighborhood of Asakusa is one of the great old centers of Shitamachi, the lower city spread along the banks of the Sumida. In the mid-17th century the Yoshiwara red light district moved to the area, and for the next 300 years Asakusa was one of Tokyo’s most important entertainment quarters, only relinquishing this position since World War II. Paradoxically perhaps, this only made the Senso-ji more popular than ever, and it drew pilgrims in large numbers.

Today, the temple continues to thrive both as a center for religious activity and an obvious stop for many tourists to Tokyo. Countless visitors have had their photograph taken in front of the impressive Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, that marks the entrance to the temple. Having passed the tiny shops in Nakamise-dori, visitors arrive at the Hozo-mon gate, a two story structure housing 14th century Chinese sutras in its second floor treasury.

Originally a Tendai-sect temple, Senso-ji became independent following World War II. There are a number of buildings on the grounds, and though most are post-war reconstructions, a small hexagonal temple northwest of the main hall and the Niten-mon gate to the east date to the 15th and early 17th centuries respectively. The large incense burner in front of the main hall is always surrounded by people fanning themselves with the smoke, which is thought to preserve health. The main hall itself is very impressive, conveying a great sense of space and activity as people enter and leave, a constant clatter of coins being thrown into the offertories and, three times daily, a group of priests chanting sutras to the accompaniment of drums. The legendary statue itself is kept hidden in a gold-plated shrine inside the hall, too holy to be on public display.

East of the hall, a Shinto shrine commemorates the two fishermen and their lord. This is Asakusa Jinja. During the third weekend of each May, the shrine hosts Tokyo’s biggest festival, the Sanja Matsuri. The surrounding streets are closed to traffic from dawn to late evening, and vast crowds pour into the neighborhood to greet over 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) that travel through the streets. The three mikoshi which enshrine the fishermen and their lord each weigh about 1,000 kilograms, and are carried by teams of at least seventy men. Its one of Tokyo’s most amazing spectacles, and definitely something to take into consideration if you’re planning to travel to Japan in the spring.

Matt Mangham

2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

JR Ueno station===(Ginza line)===No.1 Exit of Asakusa station===(On foot, 7min.)===Sensoji Temple