Didn’t goddess Kannon bless this statue? The Sensoji Temple stands before us. It is more than just Tokyo’s oldest temple. It embodies resilience, faith and cultural richness.
Sensoji Temple is dedicated to Kannon. Kannon is the Bodhisattva goddess of mercy. Legend says two fishermen found her statue in the Sumida River in 628 AD. Though they returned it to the river, it kept reappearing. They enshrined it. The temple construction began in 645 AD.
Imagine the Edo period. Shoguns like Ieyasu showed devotion to Sensoji. This boosted the temple’s importance. Commoners and leaders alike flocked here to pray.
But Sensoji’s path wasn’t always smooth. World War II air raids destroyed the original structure. Yet, from the ashes, Sensoji rose again in 1958. This rebirth symbolized Tokyo’s own recovery.
Look around us. We see more than just one building. The complex has gates and side-buildings. Nitenmon gate on the right is from 1618. Kaminari-mon or Thunder Gate features a red lantern. These unique characters on it symbolize Asakusa.
Notice the incense. See how people wave the smoke over themselves. It’s believed to cleanse and heal. Also, the large box is for coins. Tossing a coin is like tossing away impurities.
Sensoji Temple hosts Sanja Matsuri every May. This is one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals. It honors the fishermen and the landlord who founded Sensoji.
Before 1945, the area was grassland. After Sensoji was built, it became a lively pilgrimage and trading center. The only section of the temple that survived the disasters and renovations is the Main Hall. It survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
Today, Sensoji welcomes about 30 million visitors each year. So take a moment to appreciate this spiritual site. Remember its story of faith.