ASAKUSA SHRINE

Description

Essentials about the Asakusa Shrine in brief

The Asakusa Shrine is one of the most important Shintō shrines in Tokyo. It is located in the Asakusa district of the same name, next to the Buddhist temple complex Senso-ji. The shrine is also known as “Sanja-sama” (meaning “Shrine of the Three Gods”) – an allusion to the founding legend of the shrine, according to which three men were responsible for the construction of the neighboring Senso-ji. The Asakusa Shrine is also significant because it is one of only two buildings in the Asakusa district that survived the bombings of World War II unscathed.

The history of the Asakusa Shrine

According to legend, two of the three men worshipped at the shrine, the fisherman brothers Hinokuma no Hamanari and Takenari, found a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon (a goddess of mercy) in the Sumida River in 628. The fishermen are said to have thrown the statue back into the river, whereupon it is said to have reappeared each time. The village headman is said to have recognized its sanctity in this way and thereupon built the Senso-ji temple around it, as well as converting the two brothers to Buddhism. Senso-ji is thus one of the oldest temples in Tokyo. The Asakusa shrine itself was not built until 1649.

Celebrations at the Asakusa Shrine

The Asakusa Shrine hosts many festivals, including one of Tokyo’s three largest, the so-called “Sanja-Matsuri,” which takes place every year on a weekend in May over a period of three to four days. At its peak, about 100 portable shrines are carried through the streets of the district.