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Senso-ji

How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24

Senso-ji

Photo: jreysp・CC BY-SA 4.0

The temple of Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy, at the heart of Asakusa. You enter through the Kaminarimon gate and walk up the Nakamise shopping street to the main hall.

Nearest station
5 min walk from Asakusa Station
Hours
Main hall 6:00–17:00 (from 6:30, Oct–Mar); other halls: ask the temple
Admission
The official site lists no entry fee for the grounds

What to see

  • Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate): the outer gate, officially called Furaijinmon. The red lantern is 3.9 m tall and weighs about 700 kg.
  • Nakamise: the approach road, about 250 m long, from Kaminarimon to Hozomon, lined with red-painted shops. It is one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan.
  • Hozomon: a red gate with guardian Nio statues at each end.
  • Main hall (Kannon-do): the central hall enshrining the Sho-Kannon main image.
  • Five-storey pagoda: 53 m high, a vermilion tower rebuilt in 1973.

History

Tradition says it began in 628, when the brothers Hinokuma no Hamanari and Takenari found a statue of Kannon in the Sumida River while fishing. In 645 the priest Shokai built a hall and decided the main image should stay hidden. The main hall burned in the Tokyo air raids of 1945 and was rebuilt in 1958.

Getting there

A five-minute walk from Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tobu Skytree Line, Tsukuba Express and Toei Asakusa Line; exit A4 for the Toei line).

Address：2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo

Directions in Google Maps →Official website →

Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree

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Nearby sights

← Tokyo guide: trains from Tokyo

Sources

Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.

Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors