Senso-ji Temple

Senso-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple in the Asakusa district of Taito City, Tokyo, and the oldest temple in the city. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, which is why locals also call it Asakusa Kannon. There is no admission fee for the grounds or the main hall.

The approach runs from the Kaminarimon gate down the Nakamise shopping street to the Hozomon gate and the main hall, with a five-story pagoda beside it. Plan on about an hour, longer if you stop to eat along Nakamise.

On one of our 14-day routes through Japan, Senso-ji and Nakamise Street open the Tokyo leg before the trip moves on to Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka.

History of Senso-ji

The temple dates its founding to March 18, 628. That morning two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Takenari, pulled a small statue of Kannon out of the Sumida River in their net. The village headman recognized it as sacred and turned his house into a temple. In 645 the priest Shokai built a hall for the statue and hid it from view, and it has never been shown publicly since.

The main hall built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, was a National Treasure until the Great Tokyo Air Raid of March 10, 1945 destroyed it along with the pagoda. The present main hall was rebuilt in 1958, and the pagoda followed in 1973.

What to see at Senso-ji

Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate)

The outer gate on the south side is the main entrance. Statues of the wind god Fujin and the thunder god Raijin stand on either side. The red paper lantern in the middle is just under 4 meters tall and weighs about 700 kilograms. The gate burned in 1865 and was rebuilt in 1960 with a donation from Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic.

Nakamise-dori

The 250-meter street between the two gates is one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan, with about 90 shops. They sell crafts, souvenirs and snacks such as rice cakes, rice crackers and green tea sweets.

Hozomon Gate

The inner gate, commonly called Niomon, was first built in 942 like the Kaminarimon. The current gate was rebuilt in 1964 with a donation from the businessman Yonetaro Otani.

Main hall and five-story pagoda

The main hall (Kannondo) holds the hidden Kannon statue in a locked shrine behind the altar. Before you go up, waft smoke from the large incense burner in the courtyard over yourself, which is said to bring good health. To the left of the courtyard stands the five-story pagoda. Goshuin stamps are written at the Yogodo hall.

Omikuji fortunes

You can draw omikuji fortune slips at the temple, and English-language versions are available. Shake the box until a numbered stick comes out, then take the paper from the drawer with the same number.

Asakusa Shrine

Just east of the main hall is Asakusa Shrine, a Shinto shrine to the three men who founded Senso-ji: the two fishermen and the headman Haji no Nakatomo. It hosts the Sanja Matsuri, one of Tokyo's largest festivals, on the third Saturday and Sunday of every May. A guided Senso-ji walking tour covers the temple, the shrine and the backstreets of Asakusa with a guide.

How to get to Senso-ji

Asakusa Station is served by four lines, and every exit is about a 5-minute walk from Kaminarimon:

• Tokyo Metro Ginza Line: direct from Ueno, Ginza and Shibuya

• Toei Asakusa Line: use Exit A4

• Tobu Skytree Line: from Tokyo Skytree and Nikko

• Tsukuba Express: from Akihabara

Tokyo Skytree is across the Sumida River, so the two are easy to pair in one day. No cars are allowed on the temple grounds.

Best time to visit Senso-ji

Come before 9:00 a.m. or after dark. Early morning is the quietest time, before the Nakamise shops open and the tour groups arrive. The buildings are lit up every evening from sunset until about 11:00 p.m., and the grounds stay open, so a night visit avoids the crowds entirely. The shops are closed by then.

Weekends and national holidays are much busier than weekdays. The heaviest crowds of the year come for hatsumode, the first shrine and temple visit of the New Year, from January 1 to 7. Other big days include Setsubun bean-throwing in early February, the hozuki (lantern plant) market on July 9 and 10 and the hagoita (decorated paddle) market from December 17 to 19.

For a deeper look at the temple's rituals and its history, see our guide to visiting Senso-ji.

The temple's English-language site lists the full calendar of annual events.