japan20061115


After experiencing weekday rush hour traffic in Tokyo, we arrived at the Senso-Ji Temple, popularly known as Asakusa Kannon.		The temple is approached first through the Kaminarimon Gate or Thunder Gate. This entry way leads to along gallery of shops along the Nakamise-dori.


The Hindu gods Fujin and Raijin act as guardians of the Thunder Gate. Japanese religion is mixture of Shinto and Buddhist philosophies. Only about 1% of the population is Christian. Shinto is the ancient native Japanese belief system that focuses on life now. Buddhism introduced the concept of an after-life. Many Japanese combine elements of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Our tour guide said that the expression goes, "your are born Shinto, marry as a Christian, and die a Buddhist."		The temple is also the site of the five-story pagoda. According to legend, in 628 A.D., two fisherman recovered a small gold statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, from the nearby Sumida River. Their master built a shrine to Kannon. Later in 645 A.D., the holy man Shokai constructed the temple. While the original buildings survived the great earthquake of 1923, they did not fare as well in the bombings of World War II. The main buildings are restorations in the Edo style.


Before entering the temple, worshipers do a hand washing purification ritual.		A large cauldron of incense allows believers to bath in the smoke as a way of curing illnesses or relieving aches and pains.


November 15 is the observance of Shichi-go-san or 7-5-3 Children's Festival. Babyhood ends at age 3 and childhood begins. Ages 5 and 7 are landmarks for when a boy begins to wear the traditional man's clothing and girls wear their first kimono.		Parents bring their children to the shrines to express appreciation for good health and to pray for blessings in the future.

		The temple is a popular tourist attraction and school field trip. In addition to the 7-5-3 Children's Festival, November 15 was also the last day of a chrysanthemum show. We also had a great lunch of tempura before leaving through the Nita-mon Gate, the oldest structure on the site (built in 1618). The very impressive Hozo-mon Gate was closed due to repair work.

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