Tokyo鈥檚 most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of the nearby Sumida-gawa by two fishermen in AD 628. The image has remained on the spot ever since but is never on public display. The present structure dates from 1958.
厂别苍蝉艒-箩颈 is always busy, particularly on weekends; consider visiting in the evening to see it with fewer people and the buildings beautifully illuminated.
The main entrance to the temple complex is via the fantastic, red Kaminari-mon and busy shopping street 狈补办补尘颈蝉别-诲艒谤颈. Before passing through the gate, look to either side to see statues of F奴jin (the god of wind) and Raijin (the god of thunder), and under the giant red lantern to see a beautiful carved dragon.
Stalls along 狈补办补尘颈蝉别-诲艒谤颈 sell everything from tourist trinkets to genuine Edo-style crafts. At the end of 狈补办补尘颈蝉别-诲艒谤颈 is the temple itself, and to your left you鈥檒l spot the 55m-high Five-Storey Pagoda. The 1973 reconstruction of a pagoda built by Tokugawa Iemitsu was renovated in 2017.
It鈥檚 a mystery as to whether or not the ancient image of Kannon actually exists, as it鈥檚 not on public display. This doesn鈥檛 stop a steady stream of worshippers from visiting. In front of the temple is a large incense cauldron: the smoke is said to bestow health and you鈥檒l see people wafting it onto their bodies.
At the eastern edge of the temple complex is Asakusa-jinja, a shrine built in honour of the brothers who discovered the Kannon statue that inspired the construction of 厂别苍蝉艒-箩颈. (Historically, Japan's two religions, Buddhism and Shint艒, were intertwined and it was not uncommon for temples to include shrines and vice versa.) The current building, painted a deep shade of red, dates to 1649 and is a rare example of early Edo architecture. It's also the epicentre of one of Tokyo鈥檚 most important festivals, May鈥檚 Sanja Matsuri.
