Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate), Tokyo

Behold the Kaminarimon鈥攖he dramatic, lantern-swinging, statue-guarded welcome mat to Tokyo鈥檚 Senso-ji Temple. Literally translating to 鈥淭hunder Gate鈥�, this full-blown entrance experience is bold, iconic, and packing centuries of history under its massive red lantern.

This legendary landmark was first built way back in 942鈥攜es, nine-freakin鈥�-forty-two鈥攂y a samurai named Taira no Kinmasa. It had moved around a bit since then (because gates also have their dreams) before landing in its current spot in 1635. Sadly, it went up in smoke a few years later鈥攊n 1639鈥攂ut was fortunately resurrected! The shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu made sure it came back better than ever. Furthermore, in 1960, it had another facelift鈥攁 sleek renovation that gave us the Kaminarimon we see today.

Standing a proud 11+ meters tall and just as many meters wide, it鈥檚 flanked by four divine bouncers. Up front: Fujin, the God of Wind, and Raijin, the God of Thunder鈥攂ecause 鈥渨elcome鈥� sounds more convincing if reinforced by a stare down from such a weather duo. On the flip side, you鈥檝e got Tenryu and Kinryu, Buddhist protectors offering peace, health, and a sprinkle of good fortune.

Center stage is a giant, red paper lantern called a Chochin, so big it could probably have its own postal code. Donated by none other than the founder of Panasonic, it bears the name 鈥淜aminarimon鈥� on the front, while the gate鈥檚 official title, 鈥淔uraijinmon,鈥� is inscribed on the back. Oh, and don鈥檛 miss the wooden dragon at the base. Fancy stuff.

Ultimately, this gate is an absolute must-snap photo op, especially if you're hunting for that "I went to Tokyo" kind of shot. Plus, the area around it is a treasure trove of tasty street eats and local charm.

Tip:
Catch it at night when the lantern glows gloriously, the crowd dips, and the Thunder Gate turns into a calm, magical beacon in the heart of Asakusa.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Tokyo. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate)
Sight Location: Tokyo, Japan (See walking tours in Tokyo)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Asakusa District Walking Tour

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