After a break in proceedings it is now time to get back to blogging Japan.

It is now New years Eve, during the day, and we are visiting Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Sensoji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, next to the temple is a Shinto shrine called Asakusa Jinja. Shinto was the original religion of Japan, were as Buddhism was brought over from China. In Japan many people follow both Buddhism and Shinto and many Shinto shrines are located in he grounds of Buddhist temples. Because of this it can be difficult to separate the two religions from each other.

Arriving a the temple the first thing we saw was the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). The massive outer gate with a huge read paper lantern, inscribed with the words Thunder Gate, hanging in the centre. Above was a plaque that reads (apparently) ‘Gold Dragon Mountain’ but I can’t find any reference as to why?

On the other side of the Kaminarimon was a shopping street with a history of several centuries called Nakamise. Stretching for 200 meters to the outer gate, Hozomon, of the temple the Nakamise was crammed full of souvenir and food shops and rammed with people making an early new years pilgrimage to the temple. It is traditional for the Japanese to visit a temple during the first three days of the new year, during this time some temples can get several million visitors. We chose to visit a temple on new years eve to avoid the crowds, but Sensoji was still very busy.

Before going to Japan I read that on the Nakamise you could buy beautiful paddles called Hagoita that are used in a traditional new years Japanese game called Hanetsuki. The game, which is a bit like badminton but without the net, is played with a Hagoita (wooden paddle) and a shuttle called a Hane. But after looking around I realised that these paddles actually weren’t very pretty and were quite expensive.

Entering the temple through the Hozomon gate the first thing was saw was the massive main hall which honors the goddess Kannon. Legend has it that:

In the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon.

As we walked towards the building we came across an incense burner. People were crammed around the incense burner wafting the smoke towards themselves. The Buddhists believe that incense has the power of purification. There was so much smoke that we found if you get too close for too long it just made you choke!

The next thing we came across was a Chozuya, or purification trough. These are used to purify visitors as they enter the shrine. Visitors use Hishaku (ladles) to scoop the water over each hand before rinsing out their mouth and continuing onto the shrine.

Next we entered the main hall where hundreds of people could be observed preying. They would throw a 25 yen coin (about 30p) towards the shrine before bowing their head in prayer. It is said the sound of the coin being thrown wakens the gods.

After observing for a while we went over to the Shinto shrine.

As you enter a Shinto shrine you pass under a Tori gate, which marks the boundary between the every day world and the sacred world. Often a straw rope with zig zag paper strips called Gohei, is stretched across the Tori gate. This straw rope also marks the boundary into something sacred.

Just inside the Tori gate is a pair of Komainu, these are are deities (gods) in the form of lions or dragons. They are there to guard the shrine and its grounds.

After passing the Komainu and before reaching the shrine you pass a water purification trough, used to purify visitors as they enter the shrine.

Shinto shrines have two main buildings the Honden (main hall) and Haiden (offering hall). The Honden contains the shrines sacred object and no-one except priests can visit this hall. Visitors go to the Haiden to offer money and prey.

When visiting the Haiden visitors first thrown a coin into the Saisen-bako (offering box), then they bow deeply, clap loudly twice, then bow twice more this marks the end of the prayer.

Mesmerised by the clapping and bowing ritual we sat for ages by the Shinto Haiden watching people pay homage to their god.

The video below shows the Japanese performing the rituals mentioned above. First you see some people purifying themselves with the incense smoke then an old man performing another purification ritual with water. Then we go inside the main building and watch some people offer money and prey before going to the Shinto temple and watching the clapping, bowing ritual. (This video will take some time to download so go and make a cuppa)

The whole day at Sensoji was an eye opening experience. We had visited many temples in Korea but had never had the opportunity to witness so many people preying and performing rituals. I came away feeling that I had learned something about Buddhism and the Shinto religion. And that night were were to observe yet more when we visited Zojoji Temple for their new years festivities.

The websites used to write this post were:

Orientalarchitecture.com
Japan-guide.com
Wikipedia
Buddhism Atrifacts
Shinto: Way of the Kami

* Posted by j150vsc on 07/02/2007.