Kaminarimon

The gigantic red paper lantern emblazoned with ”Kaminarimon” in kanji at the entrance of Senso-ji Temple is surely a landmark of Asakusa. As a popular photo spot, it always has many domestic and overseas sightseers. On the east side of the gate is a statue of Fujin (god of wind); on its west side, a statue of Raijin (god of thunder). The offcial name of the gate is ”Fu-raijin-mon,” but somehow Fujin was dropped, and the name uses another reading for Rai, ”kaminari.” The gate has burned down a number of times. The current structure was rebuilt in 1960 with a donation from Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic. The massive lantern — four meters high, 3.3 meters in diameter and weighing about 700 kilograms — was renewed in 2013. A one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Asakusa Station on either the Tokyo Metro Ginza or Toei Asakusa Lines.