Asakusa Kannon Senso-ji Buddhist Temple

Introduction

The Sensō-ji temple 浅草寺, also known as Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Tokyo's Asakusa area. It is the city's oldest and one of its most popular temples. It is a vital center of Buddhism that attracts about 30 million visitors yearly.

Story of Tokyo's Oldest Temple

In the year 628, two brothers, Takenari and Hamanari Hinokuma, were fishing on the Sumida River. One day, they heard a command from heaven to cast their nets and found a golden statue in them. When they returned to their village, which is nowadays Asakusa, they showed the statue to the village headman Nakatomo Haji, and he realized they found a statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu), also known as Kannon. The village headman was so impressed by the statue that he became a devoted believer in Bodhisattva Kannon and practiced Buddhism for the rest of his life. He took vows as a Buddhist priest and turned his house into a temple to worship Kannon. This event marks the birth of Tokyo's oldest temple and the start of Sensō-ji's history.

In the year 645, the notable Buddhist priest Shokai 勝海 came to Asakusa 浅草 and built a hall for the worship of Bodhisattva Kannon, making him the official founder of the Sensō-ji temple. After having a mysterious dream at night, Shokai decided that the Bodhisattva Kannon statue must be hidden from human view and is still to this day. People heard of the Bodhisattva Kannon, and the words of blessing attracted people from all over Japan. As a result, Asakusa 浅草 started to flourish and became an important district.

Somewhere in the mid-ninth century, the head and highest priest of the Enryaku-ji temple 延暦寺 of the Tendai school of Buddhism 天台宗, Ennin (794-864) 圓仁 visited the Sensō-ji temple 浅草寺. He created a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon that was identical to the hidden statue. Ennin helped develop Sensō-ji and started to attract devout Bhuddists, samurai, and persons of culture. During the Edo shogunate, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) 徳川家康, Sensō-ji reached its peak of prosperity. For centuries after this day, the temple has remained a center of culture and worship in Tokyo, with millions of visitors every year. It is one of Japan's most familiar temples.

Sensō and Asakusa have the same meaning; the only difference is that Sensō is the Chinese pronunciation while Asakusa is the Japanese.

Location of the Temple

Admission Fee & Opening Hours

How to Get There

The fastest and most convenient way to visit the Sensō-ji temple is by subway. Asakusa Station is located close to the temple and is the end station of the Tokyo Ginza Subway Line 銀座線. The line is recognizable by its orange color and is Asia's oldest subway line. It officially opened on December 30, 1927. The Ginza Line starts in Shibuya, and you can transfer to this line from the Yamanote Line at Shimbashi or Ueno Station.

Asakusa Kannon Senso-ji Buddhist Temple

Address & Phone Number

Official Website

Visit the official website of the temple over here:
Official Website