Senso-ji Temple
Located in the Asakusa district, Sensoji is Tokyo's oldest and most visited temple. It was founded in 628 when Tokyo was nothing more than a small fishing village on the river Sumida.
The temple is popular for its festivals :-
Sanja Matsuri which is wild and attracts around 2 million people.
Then there's the crying baby festival which involves parents handing their kids to smiling Sumo wrestlers to see if they'll cry!
Thunder Gate
The Kaminarimon (literally: Thunder Gate) of Sensoji features an unusually large chochin red paper lantern.
The gate houses four statues including Fujin and Raijin, the Gods of wind and thunder.
Of the countless chochin lanterns in Japan, this is certainly the most famous
Nakamise Dori
The street leading to he temple is lined with around 90 souveneer shops and Japanese street food.
There has been a tourist market in front of the temple for around 300 years
Skytree
Sensoji is a popular viewpoint to see the Tokyo Skytree. The Skytree is a broadcasting tower and is the tallest structure in Japan at 634 metres. The temple is less than 2 kilometres from the tower
Asakusa Shrine
The Shrine is on the grounds of the Sensoji Temple. In modern days it is rare for temples and shrines to share grounds as Emperor Meiji forced the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the late 1800s
Swastika
In Japan, the swastika is called manji.
It can mean a number of positive things from strength to compassion.
It is a symbol used to indicate the location of a Buddhist temple.
btw...... that's Ted doing a pose.
Rickshaw
A throwback to old Japan.... but not too far back - it is traced back to 1869!
Wheels were not frequently used in Japan. The Shogunate banned wheels as they ripped up the dirt roads.