Touring Tokyo-Asakusa

Asakusa means "low city," and is a district of Tokyo.

 Check out this way you can tour around the area if you so choose.  Do you know what these are called?

They are called a "rickshaw."  There were some really strong guys pulling these around!

We entered a long shopping district through this gate, the Kaminarimon Gate.  It had two big Buddhas, the wind god and thunder god, on either side. 

The Buddhas are protected (we think from the birds) by wire mesh.  There is very little crime and vandalism in Japan, so we don't think they need protected from humans.  But here is a picture of one of them anyway (you can't see it too well because of the wire).

Here is a description of the gate that will give you more information about its history.  A lot of the things we have seen in Tokyo have been destroyed and reconstructed over the years.

Once you pass under this big gate, you walk down a narrow street/path lined with little shops.  You can see the shops on the right side of this next picture.  We stopped along the way to eat some ice cream.  I had purple sweet potato ice cream, one of my favorites!  Pam had mango, and Jill had banana and chocolate swirl.  All excellent choices.  But you have to eat the ice cream in the little shop; you are not allowed to take it out and walk down the street with it.

So this gate is at the end of the street lined with shops.  This shopping street is called the Nakamise. It's very much like the first gate you go through to enter the street.  This one is called the Hozo-man gate.  Here is some information about it.

Near the end of the street and to the right, there is a temple with two Buddhas.  Here are a few photos of it, along with a description.

On the left after going through the big gate at the end of the street is this five-storied pagoda.  These pagodas are common at temple sites, and apparently they are earthquake-proof.  Not even an earthquake can knock them down.

After you pass through the first big gate, down the street lined with shops, and then through the second big gate, the pagoda is on your left and the two big Buddhas on your right.  But directly in front of you is this beautiful temple, the Kannon Temple, also known as Sensoji Temple.  It is Tokyo's oldest temple, built in 645 (wow, that's old, isn't it?)!

See what looks like a little covered stand in front of the temple?  That is an area where wood is burned to produce smoke.  The smoke is believed to have healing powers.  So people stop and waft the smoke on themselves before entering the temple.  You can read this link to learn more about visiting temples and shrines in Japan.