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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kanto - Tokyo - Asakusa
Sensoji Temple	# 16   of 49 sights in Tokyo

Sensoji (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, the center of the shitamachi (lit. "low town"). The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. Construction Notice: Sensoji's main hall is currently under renovation and covered by scaffolding. The works are scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2010. The temple grounds and the interior of the main hall can be visited during the renovation works. Main hall covered by scaffolding on November 18, 2009 When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of the Sensoji and symbol of Asakusa. A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon. Besides typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area are sold along the Nakamise. The shopping street has a history of several centuries. Osenbei (rice crackers) Folding Fans Yukata and T-shirts from left to right: Kibidango - Skewered kibi-balls covered with soybean powder; top: Agemanju - deep fried manju (soft cake with red bean paste filling); bottom: Ningyoyaki - small cake with red bean paste filling; Kibidango Shop Beyond the Hozomon main gate stands the temple's main building and a five storied pagoda. The Asakusa Shrine, built in the year 1649 by Tokugawa Iemitsu can be found close by the temple's main building. Various events are held throughout the year in the Sensoji Temple area. Some of them are: Sanja Matsuri - May: one of Tokyo's three major festivals. Hozuki-ichi (Hozuki Market) - July: Hozuki are ground cherries, a typical summer plant in Japan. Asakusa Samba Carnival - August Tokyo Jidai Matsuri - November: a festival commemorating the history of Tokyo and the Edo culture. Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita Market) - December: Hagoita is the wooden paddle used in Hanetsuki, a traditional game that resembles badminton. Click here to read more about Hanetsuki and the Hagoita Market. Inside the main hall

How to get there

Sensoji Temple is a few steps from Asakusa Station, served by the Ginza Subway Line, Asakusa Subway Line and Tobu Railways. From Tokyo Station Take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda Station (2 minutes, 130 Yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 160 Yen). From Shinjuku Station Take the orange JR Chuo Line to Kanda Station (10 minutes, 160 Yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 160 Yen). Orientation in Tokyo

Hours and Fees

Hours: Main hall: 6:00 to 17:00 (from 6:30 from October to March) Temple grounds: Always open Closed: No closed days Admission: Free

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Travel Community

Popularity of Sensoji Temple: Users who have been to Tokyo: 3005 Users who have been to Sensoji Temple: 850 16th of 49 most visited sights in Tokyo. 24th of 589 most visited sights nationwide. Have you been to Sensoji Temple? No - I have not been there yetYes - no ratingYes - highly recommendedYes - recommendedYes - mildly interestingYes - nothing specialYes - not recommended Ratings for Sensoji Temple: japan-guide.com Rating:   outstanding   User Rating (by 483 users): 86/100   recommended User Feedback We strive to keep japan-guide.com up-to-date and accurate, and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know:

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