New Year's Eve at Senso-ji Temple, a blessing journey in the city that never sleeps

Visiting Tokyo's Senso-ji Temple during New Year's is a unique experience that combines lively festivities with tradition. At midnight, the entire area around Senso-ji remains brightly lit. Night market vendors line the five-story pagoda and the outer perimeter of the main hall, extending along Dempoin Street all the way to the Asakusa Station shopping district, selling a variety of classic festive foods: sweet sake, grilled beef skewers, fried chicken, soba noodles, grilled rice cakes, and more, filling the air with irresistible aromas. Due to the massive crowds before and after the New Year's countdown, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department begins crowd control from 8 PM. Barriers and traffic cones are set up at the Kaminarimon gate, with police directing one-way traffic. The side entrances of Nakamise Street enforce a "exit only" rule. If you accidentally leave the temple area, re-entry requires walking around several blocks to queue again. The crowd entering Kaminarimon is a spectacular sight rarely seen in a lifetime. As midnight approaches, the area in front of Kaminarimon and the main hall fills with people waiting to ring the bell and pray for blessings. With the ringing of the 108 bells, everyone claps and joins hands to welcome the New Year. The temple remains brightly lit inside and out, with fortune drawing, amulet purchases, and New Year blessing activities continuing all night, and visitors keep coming even into the early morning. The entire Asakusa area seems to transform into a city that never sleeps, both a traditional festival rich with New Year's flavor and a lively New Year's celebration. For travelers experiencing a Japanese New Year for the first time, it is an unforgettable and impressive cultural immersion.