Hōzō-mon

Asakusa & Sumida River


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 waraji (straw sandals) crafted for Sensō-ji by some 800 villagers in northern Yamagata Prefecture. These are meant to symbolise the Buddha’s power, and it’s believed that evil spirits will be scared off by the giant footwear.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Asakusa & Sumida River attractions

1. Five-Storey Pagoda

0.04 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…

2. Sensō-ji

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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…

3. Niten-mon

0.07 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…

4. Awashima-dō

0.07 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. Amuse Museum

0.08 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…

6. Asakusa-jinja

0.1 MILES

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…

7. Kaminari-mon

0.19 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…