Hello Travelers in the world...
My journey in Japan isn't over yet. There are still many stories I haven't written, one of which is my journey to Tokyo. A journey filled with stories along the way to Senso-ji Temple. My brother and I reached Tokyo by train, surrounded by crowds of people. It wasn't an easy journey, as we had to navigate the map in circles, which my brother apparently couldn't read properly. Ha ha ha…
Sensō-ji Temple
The majority of Japanese people adhere to Shinto and Buddhism, which is why there are so many Buddhist temples, one of which is Senso-ji Temple, located in Taito, Tokyo. Because of its location in the capital and cultural center of Japan, Senso-ji Temple is always crowded with visitors. Especially on weekends, you'll see many people from various countries here.
Bright but cold
After a long time of wandering and lingering along the Sumida River, I finally arrived at Senso-ji Temple. We'd come close several times, but if only the crowds hadn't blocked the gates, we wouldn't have had to go around. Although the sky was clear in the Senso-ji Temple area, the air was still quite cold for me. I needed to pull my jacket closer.
Kaminarimon Gate
The Kaminarimon Gate marks your arrival at Senso-ji Temple. It's a large gate with a distinctive lantern in the center. This lantern is called Kaminarimon, which means Thunder Gate.
In front of the lantern, many visitors were taking photos in front of the paper lantern. Not only were they taking photos, but I noticed they were also checking out what was inside. It turned out to be a wooden dragon carving, which made everyone curious to peek inside. I, myself, couldn't see it because I couldn't stand the crowd around me.
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After passing through the famous Kaminarimon Gate, you'll see rows of stalls selling all things Japanese. You can even rent some traditional clothes and walk around in a kimono like a local. I was stuck with so many visitors that it wasn't easy for me to get through Nakamise-dori. I saw some souvenirs and was interested in some snacks, but what I ended up buying was chocolate ice cream. As I walked along Nakamise-dori, I almost gave up because it was so crowded.
After passing through the famous Kaminarimon Gate, you'll see rows of stalls selling all things Japanese. You can even rent some traditional clothes and walk around in a kimono like a local. I was stuck with so many visitors that it wasn't easy for me to get through Nakamise-dori. I saw some souvenirs and was interested in some snacks, but what I ended up buying was chocolate ice cream. As I walked along Nakamise-dori, I almost gave up because it was so crowded.
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Even though I've arrived and passed through this gate, the main temple building is still nowhere to be seen. All I can see are people. I actually don't like visiting crowded places like this because it would overwhelm my photos and lose their aesthetic value. But in this case, I felt an urgency to visit. Willy nilly, I had to enjoy it.
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This is the Avalokitesvara statue located between the temple and Nakamise-dori. It commemorates the devotion of a holy figure who has helped many people in many good ways. I couldn't approach the statue because it was inside a fence. Furthermore, the crowds there made me not feel like exploring whether I could approach the statue, so I simply continued on my way.
Hozomon
Finally, we arrived at the Hozomon, the gate leading to the temple's main hall. I wasn't sure if the temple was open to visitors, as I saw many people praying, so I opted not to enter. The Hozomon is the inner gate, two stories high.
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Meanwhile, the Hozomon area wasn't particularly crowded with visitors. Perhaps because it's a sacred area, some people were reluctant to crowd around it, including me. I then went to see the towering pagoda next to it.
Five-Storied Pagoda
This pagoda is like a symbol of Senso-ji Temple. It stands 53 meters tall and has five floors, built to represent the five elements deeply believed in by Buddhism: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and finally, Void. A truly impressive philosophy.
Since I had already walked quite a distance to reach this place, I decided to take a longer look at the pagoda. It was truly a beautiful building, one I'd seen in books and travel brochures. I loved its bold yet traditional architecture. The red color made it look very bold, blazing like a flame.
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Senso-ji Temple is a very famous tourist spot, that's because you don't have to pay a penny to enter. You can enter it for free, unless you want to buy something there. I'm sure you'll spend a lot of money inside because everything inside is interesting enough to take home as a souvenir. We saw so many people wearing kimonos there, to the point where I couldn't tell if they were tourists or locals. Then there was a frog statue that caught my attention. This was one of my unforgettable trips.
Hasta La Vistaa....
Thanks in advance, to read my blog and hope you like my post!
See you on the next post...
Vivie Hardika
Hi, Halo, Annyeong, welcome to my galaxy.
I have so much imagination in my head. Something that I can't achieve as a human and as a girl. So writing is very challenging. Since Junior High School, I have written whatever I want to write. Without skill, I just write what I want to read. Now I have 12th published novels and all of those are romance.
Yeah, I proudly say that I am a passionate author, traveler wannabe, and blogger.