Senso-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.
It is the oldest temple in Tokyo and one of the most important. It is associated with the Tendai Buddhist sect, from which it became independent after the Second World War. Next to the temple is the Shinto shrine of Asakusa.
The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokitesvara). According to legend, the statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River by two fishermen (the Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari brothers) in the year 628. The village chief, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sanctity of the statue and venerated it by remodeling his own house in a small temple so that the inhabitants of Asakusa could worship him.
In the year 645 the first temple for its veneration was founded, which makes this the oldest temple in Tokyo. In the early Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Senso-ji as a tutelary temple for the Tokugawa clan.
During the Second World War the temple was bombed and destroyed, its reconstruction was a symbol of the peace and rebirth of the Japanese people.
Senso-ji is one of the nation’s leading tourist destinations, a large number of visitors visit each year at the first visit of the New Year, and the number of visitors is always in the top 10 nationwide.
Access : Coordinates: 35.714722, 139.79675 / Location : 2-3-1, Asakusa, Taito 111-0032, Tokyo Prefecture / From Tokyo Station
Take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda Station (2 minutes, 140 yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 170 yen).
From Shinjuku Station
Take the orange JR Chuo Line to Kanda Station (10 minutes, 170 yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 170 yen).
Services : Tours and Travel Services , Events : the Sanja Matsuri, the annual festival of the Asakusa Shrine, held in May / Asakusa Samba Carnival in August
Hours : Main hall: 6:00 to 17:00 (from 6:30 from October to March) ,Temple grounds: Always open, No closing days / Admission : Free
Nearby Attractions – Go next :Nakamise, shopping street , Japanese souvenirs and various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area / Ryogoku and Skytree
