Senso-ji Temple
Step through the Thunder Gate — its great red lantern swinging overhead — and you enter Tokyo's oldest temple: Senso-ji, formally known as Kinryūzan Senso-ji. According to tradition, in 628 CE the fishermen brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Takenari pulled a small image of Kannon (the bodhisattva of compassion) from the Sumida River, and the temple grew up around it, earning the informal name Asakusa Kannon. Originally a Tendai establishment, it declared independence in 1950 as the head temple of the Shōkannonshū sect, and holds the 13th station on the Bandō Pilgrimage of 33 Kannon temples. On New Year's Day its visitor count regularly ranks among the highest in Japan. Don't stop at the gate for a photo — the Nakamise shopping arcade, the Hōzōmon inner gate, the Main Hall, the five-story pagoda, the shrine, and a scattering of stone monuments each carry a story no one usually tells you. Keep walking.
Japan · 54 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Monument to the Comedians (Kigeki-jin no Hi)
Behind the Main Hall, in the area known as Shin-Okuyama, a stone tablet stands quietly covered in tightly carved names. This is the Kigeki-jin no Hi — the Monument to the Comedians — erected in 1982 to honor Asakusa's beloved comic performers who had died. Asakusa was once the cradle of Japanese popular entertainment, and everyone listed here once made packed theaters laugh. The first thirteen names carved at the dedication — including Kawada Haruhisa, Furukawa Roppa, and Enomoto Ken'ichi (Enoken) — read as a compressed history of Shōwa-era comedy.
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Hōzōmon Gate
Walk the length of Nakamise and this two-story gate is what you meet at the end: the Hōzōmon, the inner gate leading to the Main Hall (the Thunder Gate, Kaminarimon, is the outer one). Overhead in the gate's center hangs a large red lantern inscribed "Kobunacho"; flanking it are two fierce guardian figures — Niō, or Kongōrikishi — standing roughly 5.45 meters tall. Circle to the back of the gate and you'll find two enormous straw sandals hanging there. The name Hōzōmon, "Treasure-House Gate," is literal: the upper floor genuinely holds some of the temple's most precious holdings.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate)
The gate's official name is Fūraimonmon — "Gate of the Wind and Thunder Gods" — but nobody calls it that. The front lantern reads "Kaminarimon" (Thunder Gate); flip it over and you'll find "Fūraimonmon" on the back. The deity on the right is Fujin, god of wind; on the left, Raijin, god of thunder — hence both names. The present gate, standing 11.7 meters tall, was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1960 (Shōwa 35). The donor was Matsushita Kōnosuke, founder of Matsushita Electric (today's Panasonic), who had once prayed here for relief from neuralgia — the gift was his way of honoring that answered prayer. The great lantern is 3.9 meters high and 3.3 meters across; the dragon carved at its base has been part of every version of the lantern since the original.
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Asakusa Shrine (Asakusa Jinja)
Asakusa Shrine enshrines the three people at the center of Senso-ji's founding legend: the fishermen brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari, who in 628 CE netted the Kannon image from the Sumida River, and Hajino Nakatomo, the local dignitary who later took holy orders and converted his own home into the first temple. After their deaths, their descendants venerated them as divine, giving the shrine its older nickname, Sanja Gongen — "Three Shrines." The existing Main Hall, Offering Hall, and Worship Hall date to 1649 (Kan'ei 2) and were funded by the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu; the complex was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1951. The architectural style is known as iShiinoma-zukuri.
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Komagata-dō Hall
Komagata-dō is not inside the main Senso-ji precinct. It stands just across the road, beside the foot of Komagata Bridge, as a detached holding of the temple. Its significance is particular: this is said to be the exact spot where, in 628 CE, the fisherman brothers first pulled the Kannon image from the Sumida River — ground zero of the entire Asakusa Kannon tradition. In the Edo period (1603–1868), pilgrims arriving by boat would customarily disembark here, pay their respects at Komagata-dō first, then walk the rest of the way to the Main Hall. The principal image, a standing Batō Kannon (horse-headed Kannon), is a hidden Buddha — not on public display — revealed only during the ceremonial opening on the 19th of each month.
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Statue of the Ninth-Generation Ichikawa Danjūrō as "Shibaraku"
In the plaza behind the Main Hall, a bronze warrior in full armor holds a halberd high ove… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Site of the Original Five-Story Pagoda
Walking from the Hōzōmon toward the Main Hall, look for an unassuming stone marker beside… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Bronze Hōkyōintō Stupa
Standing 7.3 meters tall to the east of Kagedo Hall, this bronze hōkyōintō is the largest… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: city.taito.lg.jp
Tokyo Metropolitan Treasure: Senso-ji Hexagonal Hall
This small hexagonal wooden hall is the oldest surviving structure inside the Senso-ji pre… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Butchō Sonshō Dhāraṇī Stone
Near the Hexagonal Hall, this stone is inscribed on its face with Sanskrit characters spel… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Kinryū Gongen Shrine
On the west side of Kagedo Hall, two small shrines stand side by side: Kinryū Gongen and K… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp · ja.wikipedia.org
Kuzuryū Gongen Shrine
Standing beside Kinryū Gongen, the Kuzuryū Gongen shrine was brought here in 1958 (Shōwa 3… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Bronze Seated Kannon Bodhisattva
This bronze seated Kannon near Kagedo Hall is one of several cast-metal votive offerings p… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp
Megumi Jizō (Jizō of Blessings)
Four Jizō statues stand together in front of Kagedo Hall, each with its own name and role… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Kosodate Jizō (Child-Raising Jizō)
One of the four Jizō in front of Kagedo Hall, the Kosodate Jizō is dedicated to the safe g… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Shōtoku Jizō (Virtuous Commerce Jizō)
One of the four Jizō in front of Kagedo Hall, the Shōtoku Jizō is prayed to for thriving b… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Shusse Jizō (Advancement Jizō)
One of the four Jizō in front of Kagedo Hall, the Shusse Jizō is prayed to for career adva… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Shō Kanzeon Bosatsu Monument
"Shō Kanzeon Bosatsu" is the formal name of Senso-ji's principal deity — the "Shō" (正, cor… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp
Original Stone Lantern (Kyū Ishidōrō)
Along the path south of the Main Hall, this lantern marked "Kyū Ishidōrō" (original stone… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp
Statue of Urū Iwako
In a corner of Shin-Okuyama, a seated bronze figure commemorates Urū Iwako (1829–1897), a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · asakusa.gr.jp
Triple-Poet Haiku Monument (Sanshō Kubi)
This stone in Shin-Okuyama carries haiku by three Edo-period masters, and is therefore cal… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp · yeahscars.com
Chikara-ishi (Strength Stone)
The rounded boulder in a corner of Shin-Okuyama is a chikara-ishi — a strength stone. From… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: dailyportalz.jp · tokyo-jinjacho.or.jp
Toda Mosui Reverse-Ordination Tower
The unusual five-tiered stone stupa (gorintō) in Shin-Okuyama is a gyaku-shū tō — a "rever… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Kume Heinai Hall
Between the Hōzōmon and the Nison-butsu statues, almost certain to be overlooked, stands a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Heiwa Jizō (Peace Jizō)
In the Shin-Okuyama area west of the Main Hall, this Jizō was placed to console the dead o… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: soumu.go.jp
Ōgi-zuka (Fan Mound)
Inside Asakusa Shrine's grounds, the Ōgi-zuka is a mound established for the ceremonial re… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Dodoitsu-zuka (Dodoitsu Mound)
Within the Senso-ji precinct stands a mound dedicated to dodoitsu — a form of Japanese fol… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Soeda Azenbō Monument
Beside the base of the Bentendō bell tower stands a stone erected on November 28, 1955 (Sh… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
Matsuo Bashō Haiku Monument
The verse on this stone is Matsuo Bashō's (1644–1694) most celebrated meditation on Edo: "… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: yeahscars.com · ja.wikipedia.org
Seishi (Mahāsthāmaprāpta) — Nison-butsu Left Figure
In front of the Hōzōmon, two large bronze Buddha figures stand side by side in the open ai… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Kannon (Outdoor Votive Figure)
The Kannon figure standing in the open air on the west side of Shin-Okuyama is one of seve… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Jizō Bosatsu Figure
This Jizō Bosatsu (Sanskrit: Kṣitigarbha) figure stands in the open air in Shin-Okuyama, g… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Amida Nyorai Figure
This outdoor Amida Nyorai (Sanskrit: Amitābha) figure in the Shin-Okuyama area stands alon… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp · city.taito.lg.jp
Mother-and-Child Jizō (Oyako Jizō)
This Oyako Jizō in Shin-Okuyama depicts Jizō in a mother-and-child composition — a mother… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: asakusa.gr.jp
Zōchōten (Guardian of the South)
Near the Nitenmon Gate, this figure is Zōchōten (Sanskrit: Virūḍhaka), one of the Four Hea… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: syougai.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
Asakusa Lost-Child Notice Stone (Maigo Shirase Ishidatsu)
The stone marker in front of the Main Hall is a replica of an Edo-period maigo shirase ish… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: t-navi.city.taito.lg.jp
"Hato Poppo" Song Monument
On the west side of the Main Hall, a stone monument carries the lyrics and musical score o… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp · t-navi.city.taito.lg.jp
Bronze Seated Amida Nyorai
Inside the Kagedo precinct, this large bronze seated Amida Nyorai is a registered Tangible… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: city.taito.lg.jp
Agiyo (Open-Mouth Guardian) — Hōzōmon Niō Left Figure
The Hōzōmon's two Niō (Kongōrikishi, guardian kings) face south, protecting the approach t… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Ungiyo (Closed-Mouth Guardian) — Hōzōmon Niō Right Figure
The right (east) figure of the Hōzōmon's Niō pair, the closed-mouthed ungiyo, was carved b… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Heiwa Jizō Origin Stone
Beside the Heiwa Jizō (Peace Jizō), this explanatory stone records why it was placed here:… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: soumu.go.jp
Mizuko Jizō (Memorial Jizō for Infants)
Within the Chingodō precinct, this Mizuko Jizō was erected in September 1979 (Shōwa 54) as… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: jizo-bosatsu.hatenablog.com · senso-ji.jp
Mejiro Jizō (Lucky Jizō)
The Mejiro Jizō enshrined at Chingodō is prayed to for kaiun — opening the path to good fo… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: jizo-bosatsu.hatenablog.com
Hōkan-zuka Monument (Memorial Mound for Court Jesters)
Inside the Chingodō precinct, this monument was erected in 1963 (Shōwa 38) by the hōkan co… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp · senso-ji.jp
Oyasu Jizō (Jizō for Success and Childrearing)
One of four Jizō statues at Chingodō, the Oyasu Jizō is prayed to for shusse kosodate — ca… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: jizo-bosatsu.hatenablog.com
Katō Jizō (Head-Joined Jizō)
One of four Jizō at Chingodō, the Katō Jizō takes its name from its story: this figure's h… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: jizo-bosatsu.hatenablog.com
Nade-botoke (Binzuru, the Healing Saint)
The figure known at Senso-ji as the nade-botoke — the "stroking Buddha" — is Binzuru Sonja… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: housenji-zen.jp · senso-ji.jp
Ichiyo Kannon (Single-Leaf Kannon)
The Ichiyo Kannon (Single-Leaf Kannon) enshrined in the Shin-Okuyama area is one of the th… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
Hōkyōintō Stone Stupa
A second hōkyōintō stands in the Shin-Okuyama area, in stone rather than bronze and at a m… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: city.taito.lg.jp
Nail Memorial Stupa (Kugi Kuyō-tō)
The Kugi Kuyō-tō in Shin-Okuyama belongs to Japan's tradition of dōgu kuyō — memorial rite… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp
Great Peace Stupa (Asakusa Daiheiwa-tō)
In a corner west of the Main Hall stands the Asakusa Daiheiwa-tō — the Great Peace Stupa —… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org
War Disaster Memorial Jizō (Sensai Kuyō Jizō)
Near the Main Hall, this memorial Jizō for those killed in the war disaster joins the Heiw… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: soumu.go.jp
Spirit-Needle Memorial Stupa (Konshi Kuyō no Tō)
The Konshi Kuyō no Tō is a memorial stupa for a specialized category of needle — likely co… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: senso-ji.jp
Ichigen Fudō-son (Single-Wish Fudō)
The Ichigen Fudō-son in a corner of Shin-Okuyama was erected in 1725 (Kyōhō 10) and is a s… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: tokyotaito.blog.shinobi.jp
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside Senso-ji Temple?
Monument to the Comedians (Kigeki-jin no Hi), Hōzōmon Gate, Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and more — 54 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the Senso-ji Temple guide free?
The first 5 spots are free to read; the other 49 unlock with a one-time purchase (not a subscription).