Image search results - "sensoji" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "sensoji"

Sensoji temple's Kaminarimon Gate. There's a large road in front and also a large paved area where festivals are held. 雷門

Symbol of Tokyo: Kaminari-mon Gate with a giant red paper lantern. Pass through this gate to reach Asakusa Kannon Temple. 雷門

One of Tokyo's most photographed buildings: Kaminari-mon Gate with a giant red paper lantern.

Giant red paper lantern with the kanji characters "Kaminari Mon." The gate was reconstructed in 1960. The previous one was lost in a fire in 1865.

Under the lantern on the gold cap, there's "Matsushita Denki" (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. or Panasonic). The current Kaminarimon Gate and giant lantern were rebuilt in 1960 as a donation by Konosuke Matsushita.

The lantern is covered with a protective net. The lantern can be collapsed like an accordion to allow tall objects (such as a mikoshi portable shrine during the Sanja Matsuri festival) to pass under the gate. It is also collapsed during typhoons.

The famous Kaminarimon lantern was replaced with a new one in Nov. 2013. This is the back.

The bottom of the new Kaminarimon lantern has this nice artwork.

The temple is also called Kinryuzan, meaning Golden Dragon. 金龍山

An unusual time when the giant lantern was removed for repairs. Asakusa looks very strange, almost naked, without the giant lantern.

After passing through the Kaminarimon Gate, this is what you see: Nakamise shopping arcade. When it rains, a canopy is put up.

Nakamise-dori souvenir arcade. One of Japan's most popular and crowded tourist arcades.

In spring, a cherry blossom motif is put up.

At the end of the year and New Year's, auspicious red and white and New Year's decorations are put up.

Nakamise sells all kinds of Japanese things. Originally, they catered to religious pilgrims. Now it's mostly tourists.

Kimono shop

Traditional footwear

Paper umbrellas

Trinkets

Small Kannon statues for 25,000 yen.

Approaching another gate called Hozomon Gate. 宝蔵門

Hozomon Gate ahead. 宝蔵門

Hozomon Gate, means "Treasure Storage Gate." Indeed, the second floor houses important cultural properties. The gate was reconstructed in 1964, a ferroconcrete building.宝蔵門

Being the main gate, Hozomon Gate is much bigger than Kaminarimon Gate, and it also had a giant paper lantern.

Hozomon Gate

Hozomon Gate's giant paper lantern.

Behind Hozomon Gate is a pair of giant straw sandals hanging on the wall.

Giant straw sandal.

Sometimes on the way to Sensoji temple in Asakusa, you might see stalls selling seasonal gifts like the Hozuki Ground Cherry Pod Fair held on July 9th–10th.

Hozuki Ground Cherry Pod Fair held annually on July 9th–10th.

Hozuki Ground Cherry Pod Fair held on July 9th–10th in Asakusa.

Hozuki Ground Cherry Pod Fair held on July 9th–10th.

5-story pagoda reconstructed in 1973, made of ferroconcrete. Roof tiles made of aluminum alloy. 五重塔

Place to buy a omikuji fortune paper.

Hondo worship hall was reconstructed in 1958, made of ferroconcrete. The original Hondo was built in 1649 and a National Treasure until it was destroyed during World War II. 本堂

Hondo worship hall 本堂

Incense burner always attracts a crowd.

Incense burner

Incense burner. Pat the smoke to the part of your body that needs to be healed.

Water fountain 沙竭羅龍王像

Hondo worship hall 本堂

Steps going up to the Hondo main worship hall.

Going to worship.

View from Hondo worship hall

Crowd during New Year's

Inside Hondo worship hall 本堂

Hondo worship hall 本堂

Hondo worship hall altar 本堂

Prayers in front of the altar and offertory box.

Paintings on ceiling inside Hondo worship hall.

Painting on ceiling of Hondo worship hall.

Hondo worship hall side view 本堂

Nitemon Gate in the east undergoing renovations. One of the few original buildings still intact. 二天門

Nitemon Gate after renovations. Fresh paint makes it bright red. 二天門

In front of Sensoji temple's Hozomon Gate are battledore stalls on both sides.

Battledore stalls

Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19

Battledore stalls

Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19

Battledores were originally used to play a game called hanetsuki, similar to badminton with a shuttlecock. The battledores are now mainly used to dispel bad luck and for decoration.

Asakusa Hagoita-ichi Battledore Fair, Dec. 17-19

Maiko

Battledore

Prices and sizes of battledores vary widely. They can be small and as cheap as 1,000 yen. This one is about 18,000 yen.

Kabuki actor

Spiderman

Cartoon characters such as Anpan Man

Treasure Boat

The Battledore Fair is held at night as well.

Battledore stalls and 5-story pagoda

Hozomon Gate paper lantern and hagoita stalls

Hagoita battledores made in the past with past celebrities.

Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka

Konishiki (made when he retired)

Mouse

More battledore stalls are on the side of Sensoji temple.

Sports figures

Baseball rivals

Ichiro

Looking for the right one.

Also see my YouTube video here.

Hello Kitty

Maiko

Fuji Musume (Wisteria Maiden)

Kabuki actor

Renjishi lion dancers

Battledore stalls

At night

Prices ranhe from 1000 yen to hundreds of thousands of yen.

Hagoita Honey poses in Asakusa

Hagoita Honey

The three-day Asakusa Sanja Matsuri is held during the weekend of the third Sunday of May. Numerous portable shrines (mikoshi) parade all over Asakusa amid huge crowds. Most of these photos were taken on May 17-18, 2008. (B/W ones taken some years ago.)

Sanja means "Three Shrines," dedicated to the two fishermen who found the Kannon buddha statue and the wealthy landlord who converted them to Buddhism. The statue became the object of worship that founded Sensoji Temple.

They are deified by Asakusa Shrine next to Sensoji Temple. The festival's formal name is Asakusa Jinja Reitaisai. The festival's formal name is Asakusa Jinja Reitaisai.

Kaminarimon-dori road is closed to traffic during the festival. Unlike other Asakusa festival processions, there is no parade route. The whole area is teeming with portable shrines. Kaminarimon-dori, Nakamise arcade, and Sensoji temple are main areas.

On the second day (Sat.) of the Asakusa Sanja Matsuri at noon, numerous mikoshi (portable shrines) gather behind Sensoji temple, and wait their turn to depart for the streets of Asakusa.

From 12:30 pm, amid a sea of people, the mikoshi leave one after another. 観音本堂裏広場に集合

The mikoshi come from over 40 neighborhoods of Asakusa. 氏子各町神輿連合渡御、発進

Mikoshi bearers

A sea of people in front of Sensoji temple in the area I call "The Pit."

The mikoshi is brought in front of Sensoji temple one after another from all directions.

Asakusa Sanja Matsuri in front of Sensoji temple.

A sea of people.

This is what it looks like at the ground level in "the pit."

This mikoshi is heading to the front of Sensoji temple. I followed them.

Phoenix atop the mikoshi roof.

Heading to the front of Sensoji temple.

They receive their blessings, then leave.

This is what it looks like in front of Sensoji temple.

Meanwhile, inside Sensoji temple, worshippers who managed to squeeze through the crowds go inside the temple to pray.

What it looks like from the left side of Sensoji temple.

Left side of Sensoji temple, in "the pit."

Mikoshi also depart the left side of Sensoji temple.

Headband

A higher view.

The same man some years before??

The mikoshi also leave Sensoji temple and head to the Nakamise shopping arcade.

Heading to Hozomon Gate.

After passing through Hozomon Gate, they enter Nakamise shopping arcade.

Nakamise shopping arcade

Nakamise shopping arcade.

Never too busy for a phone call.

"OK mom, I'll pick up the bread, milk, cereal, and natto after this festival is over."

Asakusa Sanja Festival

Heading down Nakamise shopping arcade.

One funny old man took his bicycle right through the crowd. He was soon escorted out.

Mikoshi for the kids too.

Mikoshi drummer

Festivals are tiring.

The mikoshi passes under Kaminarimon Gate, a symbol of Asakusa. The giant red lantern is collapsed upward to make room.

Area in front of Kaminarimon Gate

Kaminarimon-dori road during Sanja Matsuri

Quite a few women carried the mikoshi too.

Festival music (drums and flute).

Asakusa Shrine torii.

A mikoshi in front of Asakusa Shrine.

Mikoshi passing through Asakusa Shrine, right next to Sensoji temple.

Worshippers line up to pray at Asakusa Shrine.

Asakusa Shrine also has a stage for various entertainment such as an Asakusa geisha dance.

And taiko drumming.

Storehouse for the three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines.

The three Sanja mikoshi portable shrines dedicated to the three fishermen who founded the Kannon statue. Unfortunately, the parading of these mikoshi was canceled this year (2008) because people always stood on the beams to ride on it.

Taiko drummer

Float for festival music.

Asakusa Sanja Matsuri

The Sanja Festival is known to have many yakuza gangsters participating. However, I hardly saw any this year. Perhaps because the three Sanja mikoshi were not paraded this year and they could not ride on it half naked. Or they were all covered up.

Police watch the crowd on Kaminarimon-dori

Ice cream break.

The mikoshi rests too.

OK, break time is over and they pick up the mikoshi.

What it looks like when you carry the mikoshi.

People are not supposed to stand on the mikoshi.

To mark the 700th anniversary of Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival in 2012, a boat procession was held on Sumida River on March 18, 2012. The last time they did this was in 1958.

The three portable shrines were first carried from Asakusa Shrine to neighboring Sensoji temple on March 17 where it stayed overnight. On the 18th, they were carried outside and a procession around Asakusa was held.