Tokyo, Japan TEMPLE & SHRINE - 1 of 3

We went first thing to the Asakusa area, again another set of fun trains to figure out. This area used to be the main entertainment district with kabuki theaters and “other” types of theaters through the early 1900’s. The Kaminarimon (Thunder) Gate and Buddhist dieties welcome you at the front of the Nakamise street and at the entrance of Senso-ji temple. The gate, with its lantern and statues, stands 38 ft tall, 37 ft wide and covers an area of 746 sq ft. The first gate was built in 941, but the current gate dates from 1960, after the previous gate was destroyed in a fire in 1865. Nakamise Street came about in the early 18th century, when neighbors of Sensō-ji were granted permission to set up shops on the approach to the temple. The length of the street is approximately 820 ft and contains around 89 shops. You can see kimonos worn everywhere, all types and qualities, worn by locals and tourists.

Senso-ji is a very popular Buddhist Temple built in the 7th century and Tokyo’s oldest. Large parts of Asakusa were destroyed in the air raids of 1945 and never returned to those days. The Kaminarimon is the first of two large entrance gates leading to Senso-ji Temple, officially Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji. First built more than 1000 years ago, it is the symbol of Asakusa. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva (someone that can reach nirvana) of compassion, and is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually.

Adjacent to the temple is a five-story pagoda and the Asakusa Shrine, also known as Sanja-sama, was built during the Edo Period and survived the air raids of 1945.

We spent a few fun hours walking around this are and visiting the Temples and Shrines …not to mention get our fortune read by the Omikuji, also known as paper or wooden sticks, are common at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan. Omikuji, a literally meaning "sacred lot" in Japanese, have fortunes etched on them; some are positive, and some are bad luck. It was POSITIVE!Baca lagi