Asakusa

This is a classical place in that, it typifies the picture of "Japan" that most people have in their minds.  Asakusa may be a very old place, but it is festive and beautiful. The crowds are drawn by Sensoji Temple and by the Five Storied Pagoda, as well as ,the traditional Nakamise shopping arcade. But, for visitors between the sixteen and eighteen hundreds, the attraction was somewhat different - Asakusa contained the notorious "Yoshiwara," the city's licensed "pleasure quarter," which we won't talk about on this page!
Sensoji Temple has three gates. Kaminarimon Gate is the main one and you'll probably find it first since all you have to do is follow the signs from the Asakusa Subway Station. The original main gate was destroyed in the air raids of 1945, so this is a reconstruction built in 1960.
On the left, you will notice the God of Thunder.  And, on the right, the God of the Wind.
Once through the gate you'll be in Nakamise Shopping Arcade. The street is lined with colorful, lively stalls selling traditional knick- knacks, festival foods and rice crackers. Hanzomon Gate is at the end of this "street" and marks the entrance to the Sensoi Temple (see pic below).
More sights along the way to the main temple.
As you get nearer to the temple, look out for the large incense burners. Incense is wafted over the body as an act of purification; or as an annoyance in our case!
This is the Hanzomon Gate and the entrance to the temple.  Just past the giant lantern* is the stairs to the Sensoji temple.

Sensoji Temple dates back to 645, but with the original destroyed in the air raids of March 10 1945, today's building is a 1958 reconstruction. At the top of the steps, as a sign of respect, clap twice and bow your head. It's also customary to make a small offering by tossing coins into the wooden rack.

*This lantern seems like the same as the one at the  Kaminarimon Gate (main gate).  But, it's not.  Notice there are no statues on the left and the right?
Once inside the main temple you will notice the ceiling paintings, such as this one.  Extremely old, yet in perfect condition.
You will also notice the large wooden fortune telling stand. To use it, first select a chopstick from one of the metal cylinders. Next, you are supposed to give the chopstick to a temple official who, in return, will issue you with a slip of paper.  Or, apparently you can help yourself (if you can figure it out; which we did).

Terry got a good fortune (see below).  Then Terry got a fortune for David and it was bad news, so she hid it from him.

I found out after that if the paper says you have bad luck, then by tying it to the branch of a tree or the special rack provided, it will apparently blow away.  Oh well...
Once  you read the detailed fortune (in Japanese on one side and in English on the other), you fold it up and tie it on a tree or this special rack.  The "fortunes" are much more than a fortune cookie.  It's like a small novel giving you advice about your job, business, love life, etc.  Each fortune covers advice in all categories.
 
Terry is tying hers onto this rack.
Once you tie the fortune on the rack you pray for good luck, or something!
The Japanese are big on lighting candles (in memory of the dead, I believe).  They put the lit candles in special places.

 

 

 

The Five Storied Pagoda was built in 1973 and, along with others, it stands in honor of comedians! It's actually about 176' high, reinforced with concrete and steel.  Like all pagodas, running down the center is a giant pillar of Japanese Cypress tree wood. Around this, the five stories are loosely packed, resulting in a highly flexible structure able to withstand earth quakes, which are frequent in Japan.

There is a sign on the bottom floor of the pagoda (shown in close-up on the right) in front of the entrance doors.

 The sign says "Today only

Free visitors are kindly requested not to enter except persons concerned in this temple."

This sign was very interesting to me.  It was at the entrance to a temple.  I think something was lost in translation, because I never could figure out what it meant.  I just had to assume that I wasn't invited, since I was not a "concerned person."  Go figure...?
Next to the temple and near the pagoda, there is a lovely setting with Buddha playing host.
He made the girls happy... apparently.
 

There is no doubt that Asakusa is for tourists, but it still has working, valid temples, that the local people take seriously.  The good part is that the all the people there respect the grounds, the temples, and the traditions, whether they are their for religious purposes or just sight seeing.