Sensō-ji

, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, a five-story pagoda and large gates. It is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually.

The temple was destroyed during a 10 March 1945 firebombing air raid on Tokyo during World War II. The main hall was rebuilt in the 1950s. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, the temple became independent after the war. Leading to it is Nakamise-dōri street, containing many shops with traditional goods. Adjacent to the east of Sensō-ji is the Asakusa Shrine of the Shinto religion.

History

The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara). According to legend, a statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 AD by two fishermen, brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari. The chief of their village, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined it by remodeling his own house into a small temple in Asakusa so that the villagers could worship Kannon.

The first temple was founded in 645 AD, which makes it the oldest-established temple in Tokyo.World's greatest sites
accessed May 2, 2008 In the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu designated Sensō-ji as tutelary temple of the Tokugawa clan.

The temple was destroyed in World War II during the 10 March 1945 firebombing air raid on Tokyo. The main hall was rebuilt in 1951–58 and has been perceived as a symbol of rebirth and peace by Japanese people. In the courtyard there is a tree that was hit by a bomb in the air raids, and it had regrown in the husk of the old tree and is a similar symbol as the temple itself. The temple now has a titanium tiled roof that maintains a historic image but is stronger and lighter. The Kaminarimon gate was rebuilt in 1960, the Hōzōmon gate in 1964, and the pagoda in 1973.

The Nishinomiya Inari shrine was located within the precincts of Sensō-ji and a torii identified the entry into the hallowed ground of the shrine. A bronze plaque on the gateway structure listed those who contributed to the construction of the torii, which was erected in 1727 ('' Kyōhō 12, 11th month''). After the Meiji government ordered the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in 1868, the Inari shrine was moved to the grounds of the Asakusa Shrine, where it was destroyed in the 10 March 1945 firebombing.

Temple grounds

Sensō-ji is the focus of Tokyo's largest and most popular festival, Sanja Matsuri. This takes place over 3 to 4 days in late spring, and sees the surrounding streets closed to traffic from dawn until late evening.

Dominating the entrance to the temple is the Kaminarimon or "Thunder Gate". This imposing Buddhist structure features a massive paper lantern dramatically painted in vivid red-and-black tones to suggest thunderclouds and lightning. Beyond the Kaminarimon is Nakamise-dori with its shops, followed by the Hōzōmon or "Treasure House Gate", which provides the entrance to the inner complex. Within the precincts stand a stately five-story pagoda and the main hall, devoted to Kannon.

Many tourists, both Japanese and from abroad, visit Sensō-ji every year. Catering to the visiting crowds, the surrounding area has many traditional shops and eating places that feature traditional dishes (hand-made noodles, sushi, tempura, etc.). Nakamise-Dori, the street leading from the Thunder Gate to the temple itself, is lined with small shops selling souvenirs ranging from fans, ''ukiyo-e'' ( woodblock prints), kimono and other robes, Buddhist scrolls, traditional sweets, to Godzilla toys, t-shirts and mobile phone straps. These shops themselves are part of a living tradition of selling to pilgrims who walked to Sensō-ji.

Within the temple itself, and also at many places on its approach, there are '' o-mikuji'' stalls. For a suggested donation of 100 yen, visitors may consult the oracle and divine answers to their questions. Querents shake labelled sticks from enclosed metal containers and read the corresponding answers they retrieve from one of 100 possible drawers.

Within the temple is a quiet contemplative garden kept in the distinctive Japanese style.

Kaminarimon

The is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately lead to the Sensō-ji (the inner being the Hōzōmon) in Asakusa. The gate, with its lantern and statues, is popular with tourists. It stands tall, wide and covers an area of . The first gate was built in 941, but the current gate dates back to 1960, after the previous gate was destroyed in a fire in 1865.

History

The Kaminarimon was first built in 941 AD by Taira no Kinmasa, a military commander. It was originally located near Komagata, but it was reconstructed in its current location in 1635. This is believed to be when the gods of wind and thunder were first placed on the gate. The gate has been destroyed many times throughout the ages. Four years after its relocation, the Kaminarimon burned down, and in 1649 AD Tokugawa Iemitsu rebuilt the gate along with several other of the major structures in the temple complex. The gate burnt to the ground in 1757 AD and again in 1865 AD. The Kaminarimon's current structure was dedicated in December 1960 AD . Ninety-five years after the last fire, Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company (now Panasonic), was asked to rebuild the gate. With monetary donations from Matsushita, it was rebuilt in 1960.

Features

Four statues are housed in the Kaminarimon, two in the front alcoves and two on the other side. On the front of the gate, the statues of the Shinto gods Fūjin and Raijin are displayed. Fūjin, the god of wind, is located on the east side of the gate, while Raijin, the god of thunder, is located on the west side. The original sculptures were severely damaged in the fire of 1865, with only the heads being saved, and the statues restored for the gate's 1960 reconstruction.Enbutsu, Sumiko. ''Old Tokyo: Walks in the City of the Shogun''. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2012

Two additional statues stand on the reverse of the gate: the Buddhist god Tenryū on the east, and the goddess Kinryū on the west side. These were donated in 1978 to commemorate the 1350th anniversary of the first appearance of the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara) at Asakusa, which led to the founding of Sensō-ji. The statues were carved by then-106-year-old master sculptor Hirakushi Denchū.

A giant red lantern ('' chōchin'') hangs under the center of the gate. It is tall, wide and weighs approximately . The current lantern, the fifth iteration, was built by Takahashi Chōchin K.K in 2013 and has the same metallic base on the bottom as the previous lantern. The base has a name plate that says "Matsushita Denki", an abbreviated form of Panasonic's old Japanese name, Matsushita Denki Sangyo Kabushiki Gaisha. The front of the lantern displays the gate's name, . Painted on the back is the gate's official name, . During festivals such as Sanja Matsuri, the lantern is collapsed to let tall objects pass through the gate.

The characters on the tablet above the lantern read from right to left and reference the Sensō-ji.

Hōzōmon

The is the inner of two large entrance gates that lead to the Sensō-ji. It is a two-story gate ('' nijūmon''), and its second story houses many of the Sensō-ji's treasures. The first story houses two statues, three lanterns and two large sandals. It stands tall, wide, and deep.

History

The Hōzōmon was first built in 942 AD by Taira no Kinmasa. Destroyed by fire in 1631, it was rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1636. It stood for 300 more years until it was once again burned down during the Tokyo air raids of 1945. In 1964, the present steel-reinforced concrete structure was built with a donation of ¥150 million from Yonetarō Motoya.

Since the gate was reconstructed using flame-resistant materials, the upper story of the Hōzōmon stores the Sensō-ji's treasured sutras. These treasures include a copy of the Lotus Sutra that is designated a Japanese National Treasure and the ''Issai-kyō'', a complete collection of Buddhist scriptures that has been designated an Important Cultural Property.

Features

Unlike the Kaminarimon, which houses four different statues, the Hōzōmon houses two guardian statues that are located on either side of the gate's south face. These tall statues represent Niō, the guardian deities of the Buddha. Because of these statues, the gate was originally called the before it was renamed the Hōzōmon.

The gate also features three large lanterns. The largest and most prominent lantern is a red '' chōchin'' that hangs under the center of the gate's opening. With a height of , a diameter of and a weight of , the lantern displays the name of the town . The current iteration of the lantern dates back to 2003 when ¥2 billion was donated by the people of Kobunachō. Its donation commemorated the 10th-year-anniversary of the start of the Edo period. On either side of the ''chōchin'' hangs five tall copper '' tōrō'' weighing approximately each. All three lanterns are completely removed during festivals such as Sanja Matsuri.

On the Hōzōmon's east (back) face are the '' waraji'', two long, wide straw sandals that weigh each.

Nakamise-dōri

The is a street that forms the approach to the temple. It is said to have been built in the early 12th century, when neighbors of Sensō-ji were granted permission to set up shops on the approach to the temple. However, in May 1885 the government of Tokyo ordered all shop owners to leave. That December the area was reconstructed in Western-style brick. During the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake many of the shops were destroyed, then rebuilt in 1925 using concrete, only to be destroyed again during the bombings of World War II. The street is approximately long and contains around 72 shops.Asakusa-Nakamise:
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Gallery

File:Nakamise1411.jpg, Pilgrims and tourists flocking to Sensō-ji have shopped at the small stores here for centuries.
File:Sensoji at night.JPG, The temple during nighttime
File:Asakusa - Senso-ji 35 (15576702197).jpg
File:Sensō-ji - Ceiling - August 2013 - Sarah Stierch 02.JPG
File:Sensoji Dragon Fountain.JPG
File:Sensoji temple meiji era monochrome1910.jpg, 1910
File:Toto_Kinryuzan_Senso-ji_zu_02.jpg, 1820
File:100 views edo 039.jpg, Hiroshige
File:View of mikoshi from sensoji Sanja Matsuri 2006-3.jpg, Sanja Matsuri
File:Bosatsu Kannon from Simida River 02.JPG, An illustration window in Sensoji of how the two fishermen brothers find bosatsu Kannon statuette in Sumida River
File:Bosatsu Kannon from Simida River 01.JPG, An illustration window in Sensoji of bosatsu Kannon consecrated and worshiped in early Senso-ji and Asakusa Shrine
File:Photo-TokyoAirRaids-1945-3-10-Destroyed Nakamise-4.png, Nakamise-Dori after the American bombings of 1945

See also

* Buddhist temples in Japan
* Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
* List of Buddhist temples
* List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)

Notes

References

* McClain, James L., John M. Merriman, Kaoru Ugawa and Ugawa Kaoru. (1997)
''Edo and Paris: Urban Life and the State in the Early Modern Era.''
Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
OCLC 39088759

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Senso-ji
Asakusa
Buddhist temples in Tokyo
Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II
Buildings and structures in Taitō
Temples of Avalokiteśvara
Tokyo Metropolitan Designated Tangible Cultural Property