Sensoji: Tokyo's Oldest Temple

Founded in 645 AD, Sensoji is Tokyo's oldest temple. It also has the honor of being the tutelary temple of the Tokugawa clan, giving it a sort of Ieyasu satisfaction guarantee. Getting there is pretty simple. If you're starting from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station, just find your way to Kanda Station using the JR Yamanote Line and the Chuo Line respectively. From there, transfer to the Ginza Line and get off at Asakusa Station. To get to Sensoji Temple, just follow the signs to exit 1. You'll eventually reach Kaminarimon Street, with Sensoji's famous Kaminarimon Gates right around the corner. Also worth a mention is the Asakusa Culture Information Center. Besides being a cool place to rest up and learn about the area, it offers fantastic views of Sensoji for free. Check out Kelly's Asakusa guide for more details. Passing down the Fujin and Raijin Guardians will take you down Sensoji's busy and crowded shopping street, Nakamise Dori. But if you're not interested, then I highly recommend taking the alleyways on either side of it. They're less busy and less of a headache to traverse. You'll eventually reach Hozomon, Sensoji's actual gate. It's also home to giant straw sandals said to grant power to those who touch them. There is also the 10th century Goju-no-to five-storied pagoda, which contains memorials to over 10,000 families. You're free to give prayers in the main hall. You do so by dropping money in the Saisen Bako, and bowing your head twice, then clapping twice, followed by another bow. A lot of events happen throughout the year at Sensoji Temple, the biggest of which being the Sanja Matsuri held in May. This is actually one of Tokyo's big three festivals, and it gets pretty rowdy. Check out our Sanja Matsuri article for more information, and for other events at Sensoji Temple. Finally, you can't visit Sensoji without trying any of the street food. Sensoji Temple is one of Tokyo's best places to experience authentic tabearuki, which of course means to eat and walk. Hey, if you like what you just watched, subscribe to our channel for more videos like them. And for more on Sensoji, check out our article at tokyocheapo.com