Tokyo｜From a Guanyin statue found at sea to the spiritual pillar of Asakusa, the thousand-year-old Sensoji Temple has been rebuilt 20 times

Friends who have been to Tokyo have most likely visited Sensō-ji Temple. This ancient temple was built in 628 AD and has experienced wars and fires, and has been rebuilt twenty times. The story begins on the Sumida River. At that time, a fisherman found a Buddha statue in Tokyo Bay and brought it back to the village for the most knowledgeable villager, Tushichuzhi, to take a look. After identification, he found out that it was a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Tushichuzhi felt that this was guidance from the dark, so he converted to Buddhism and enshrined Guanyin at home. As more and more villagers came to worship, it eventually developed into Senso-ji Temple. More than 200 years later, in the first year of Tenan, Master Jikaku of Enryaku-ji Temple built a statue to replace the secret Buddha statue for all living beings to worship. Since then, Senso-ji Temple has become a religious holy place. Having experienced earthquakes, fires, and the Tokyo bombing for a long time, this spiritual pillar of Tokyo residents has been rebuilt time and again with donations from the public. What we see today is the scale of the 20th reconstruction. On the third weekend of May every year, the Sanja Festival hosted by Asakusa Shrine will be held. At that time, the 700-kilogram red lanterns at the Kaminarimon Gate will be half-folded, allowing the mikoshi to pass through the 250-meter-long Nakamise and enter Sensoji Temple. It is said that Guanyin appeared in a dream and suggested that a shrine should be built to worship the brothers who found the Buddha statue and the Tushi Nakataka who worshipped the statue, thus the Asakusa Shrine was established. During the annual Sanja Festival, the mikoshi will enter Sensō-ji Temple, just like a meeting of the gods. There will also be a large number of stalls and activities in and around Sensō-ji Temple, just like a carnival. 📍Address: 〒111-0032 Asakusa 2-3-1, Taito-ku, Tokyo 🚗Ginza Line Asakusa Station Exit 1, a five-minute walk away. #AprilGoodDestinations2025