The vermilion gate and its enormous lantern mark the ceremonial entrance to Sensō-ji, but the details repay a slower look. Wind and thunder deities flank the passage, while the lantern base carries a carved dragon. The current structure dates to 1960, part of a long cycle of rebuilding after fires.
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A giant red lantern makes this gateway easy to recognize, but the figures on either side tell you what kind of threshold you are crossing. Kaminarimon means “Thunder Gate”; the Wind God and Thunder God stand guard over the approach to Sensō-ji.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The present gate dates to 1960.
- Kaminarimon means “Thunder Gate.”
- The 3.9-metre lantern was donated by Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita.
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