Asakusa Shrine: Honoring the Fishermen Who Founded the Temple
Why is it significant?
Walk just a few steps to the east of the great temple hall and step before the vermilion and black lacquered timber facade of Asakusa Shrine, known affectionately as Sanja-sama.
Key Facts
| Place | Asakusa Shrine: Honoring the Fishermen Who Founded the Temple |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032 |
| Geo Coordinates | 35.71530, 139.79740 |
| Part of Walk | Old Edo to Tokyo: Asakusa's Senso-ji, Red Lanterns, and Ueno's Shrines |
| Generated | Generated |
Walk just a few steps to the east of the great temple hall and step before the vermilion and black lacquered timber facade of Asakusa Shrine, known affectionately as Sanja-sama. Built in sixteen forty-nine by third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, this exquisite Edo-period Shinto shrine miraculously survived the firebombing of Tokyo in nineteen forty-five completely unscathed.
While Senso-ji is Buddhist, this shrine is Shinto, embodying the peaceful harmony of Japan's two spiritual traditions. It is dedicated to the Three Spirits: the two humble fishermen brothers who pulled the statue from the river, and their village chief who recognized its divinity.
Every May, this shrine erupts into the Sanja Matsuri, Tokyo's wildest and most electrifying cultural festival. Over two million spectators gather as hundreds of energetic local bearers in traditional happi coats shoulder three massive golden portable mikoshi shrines, bouncing and jostling them through the streets to awaken the gods.
Walk west through the historic alleys toward the sprawling greeneries of Ueno Park.