Senso-ji, in Asakusa
The oldest temple in Tokyo, its giant red lantern and the avenue of shops leading to it.
Duration
1 hr – 2 hrs
Best time
Before 8am, or after 8pm
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The temple was founded in 645: it is the oldest in Tokyo. Legend has it that two fishermen pulled a statuette of Kannon from their nets in 628, and that it was thrown back twice before anyone understood.
The red lantern of the Kaminarimon gate weighs nearly seven hundred kilos and is replaced every ten years. Between it and the temple, Nakamise-dori has had shops since the seventeenth century: the traders maintained the temple and in exchange had the right to sell there. It all burned in 1945 and was rebuilt, in concrete for the main hall.
Getting there
Ginza and Asakusa subway lines, Asakusa station, exit 1. The Kaminarimon gate is two minutes away.
Rules on site
The grounds are always open and lit at night, once the shops close: that is the only time the avenue is walkable. Do not eat while walking along Nakamise-dori — the signs ask you not to.
Checked on 28 August 2026 at Japan Activity — what is free in Tokyo in 2026
