Asakusa Shrine 浅草神社
Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo · Open in Google Maps
Asakusa Shrine stands right beside Sensō-ji, Tokyo's most famous Buddhist temple, and many visitors walk past without noticing it. It honors the three men in the founding legend of Sensō-ji: two fishermen brothers who pulled a statue of Kannon from the Sumida River, and the local leader who enshrined it.
What to look for
- Because it honors three men, it is also called Sanja-sama, and its spring festival is the Sanja Matsuri, one of Tokyo's liveliest.
- The main buildings were built in 1649 under the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and survived the bombing of Asakusa in 1945. They are designated an Important Cultural Property.
- It is a good place to see the difference between a temple and a shrine side by side.
Enshrined kami
- Hinokuma no Hamanari 檜前浜成命
- Hinokuma no Takenari 檜前竹成命
- Haji no Nakatomo 土師中知命
What people pray for here
Prosperity for the neighborhood and its businesses, and family happiness.
Etiquette
Remember the switch: at Sensō-ji you put your hands together quietly; at Asakusa Shrine you bow twice, clap twice and bow once.
New to shrines? Read our short guide to shrine etiquette: purifying your hands, bowing and clapping, offerings, omamori and goshuin.