The Tokyo Traveler

The number three in Japanense is “san” and the Sanja Matsuri is a festival that honors the three men who founded the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo.  Two of the men were said to have found a Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) statuette caught in their fishing net around this time in the year 628.  A wealthy man heard about the discovery and used the opportunity to share a Buddhist sermon with the two men.  The two men were converted and devoted their life to teaching Buddhism.  The wealthy man consecrated the Kannon statuette in a small temple in what is now …read more

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Asakusa is known for it’s old town atmosphere and historic Buddhist temples. It’s a fun area to explore and the center of most of the activity is around the centuries old Asakusa Kannon Temple, or Sensoji.

The first thing that you notice when you get to Asakusa is the Kaminarimon Gate. Take a moment to wander around the gate itself to check out all of the ornamentation and then pass through it and your will be on the Nakamise, a quaint shopping area that leads to the Sensoji itself.

Make sure you take some time to explore the various shops on the …read more

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