Asakusa-jinja

Asakusa & Sumida River


Asakusa-jinja was built in honour of the brothers who discovered the Kannon statue that inspired the construction of Sensō-ji. Deep red in colour, the current building dates to 1649 (repainted in 1996) and is a rare example of early Edo architecture.

It’s also the epicentre of one of Tokyo’s most important festivals, May’s Sanja Matsuri.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Asakusa & Sumida River attractions

1. Niten-mon

0.05 MILES

Senso-ji's eastern gate is one of the temple complex's rare, Edo-era buildings: it's been standing since 1618. Though it appears minor today, this gate…

2. Amuse Museum

0.06 MILES

The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…

3. Sensō-ji

0.06 MILES

Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…

4. Awashima-dō

0.09 MILES

This subtemple of Sensō-ji dates to the late 17th century. The deity enshrined here is a guardian of women and the temple is the site of a curious ancient…

5. Hōzō-mon

0.1 MILES

At the end of Sensō-ji's Nakamise-dōri, this gate is flanked by two fierce guardian deities. On the gate’s back side are a pair of 2500kg, 4.5m-tall…

6. Five-Storey Pagoda

0.12 MILES

On the grounds of Sensō-ji, this 53m-high, five-storey pagoda is a 1973 reconstruction of a pagoda built by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1648. The current…

8. Kaminari-mon

0.29 MILES

The Sensō-ji temple precinct begins at this majestic gate, from which hangs an enormous chōchin (lantern); look under this to see a beautiful carved…