Kaminarimon Gate: A Guide to Asakusa's Thunder Gate
Quick answer
- Kaminarimon is the outer gate of Senso-ji in Asakusa, free to visit and open around the clock.
- Its red lantern is 3.9 m tall and weighs about 700 kg.
- It is a 5-minute walk from Asakusa Station.
What Is Kaminarimon Gate?
Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, is the outer main gate of Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, and the symbol of Asakusa. Its formal name is Furaijinmon, the Gate of the Wind and Thunder Gods, after the two guardian statues that stand on either side.
The giant red lantern hanging in the middle is one of the most photographed sights in Japan.
The gate is free and you can walk through it at any hour. It faces Kaminarimon-dori, a few minutes from Asakusa Station, and behind it Nakamise-dori, the shopping street, leads to Hozomon Gate and the Main Hall of Senso-ji.
For the temple itself, its hours and how to pray, see our Senso-ji guide. This page is about the gate.
Kaminarimon is the entrance to a working temple, and you will see people bow briefly as they pass under it on their way to pray.
Kaminarimon History from 942 to the 1960 Rebuild
The first gate is said to date from 942, and the gate you see today was built in 1960, after the previous one had been missing for 95 years. In between, it burned down and was rebuilt several times.
According to Senso-ji, the military commander Taira no Kinmasa rebuilt the temple's halls in 942 and set up its main gate at Komagata, closer to the Sumida River. The gate later moved to where it stands now.
The name Kaminarimon seems to have caught on in the early 19th century. A comic verse from that time already uses it.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 942 | Taira no Kinmasa builds the temple's main gate at Komagata |
| 1649 | Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu rebuilds it after a fire in 1642 |
| 1795 | Rebuilt after a fire in 1767, lanterns start to be donated around this time |
| 1865 | Destroyed in a fire that spread from Tawaramachi |
| 1960 | Rebuilt with a personal donation from Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic |
| 1978 | The dragon god statues are added on the back of the gate |
| 2020 | The lantern is replaced for the sixth time |
The story behind the 1960 gate is one Senso-ji tells itself. Matsushita was suffering from joint pain, and the temple's chief priest prayed to the temple's Kannon for his recovery.
When he recovered, he paid for the gate himself, as thanks. The gate you walk through is made of reinforced concrete in the Edo-period style, 11.7 metres high and 11.4 metres wide, and was repainted in 1982 and 2013.
The gate that stood here in the Edo period was a favourite subject of woodblock artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige, which is why it appears in so many old prints.
The Giant Red Lantern
The lantern is the reason most people stop. It is 3.9 metres tall, 3.3 metres wide and weighs about 700 kilograms, and the large black characters on the front read "Kaminarimon".
The back reads "Furaijinmon", the gate's formal name.
Two details to point out to children.
- The dragon underneath. Stand under the lantern and look up. Its base is a carved wooden dragon, coiled and painted, and it is easy to miss.
- It folds. During the Sanja Matsuri festival in May, the lantern is folded up so that the portable shrines carried through the gate can pass underneath.
The lantern is paper and bamboo, so it does not last forever. It is renewed every so often. The current one went up in April 2020, the sixth replacement since 1960.
Fujin, Raijin and the Dragon Gods
The two statues facing the street are the guardians that give the gate its name, Fujin, god of wind, on the right as you face the gate, and Raijin, god of thunder, on the left. Two more figures, the dragon gods Tenryu and Kinryu, stand on the back of the gate and are easy to walk past.
Fujin and Raijin
Fujin carries a bag of wind over his shoulders. Raijin is ringed by the drums he beats to make thunder. They were placed here to protect the temple from storms and floods, and they also carry prayers for good weather and good harvests.
Fujin is 2.18 metres tall and Raijin 2.09 metres. When the gate burned in 1865, only their heads survived. New bodies were carved in 1874, and the statues were repaired and repainted for the 1960 gate.
Tenryu and Kinryu
Walk through the gate and turn round. On the back, behind Fujin and Raijin, stand two dragon gods who rule over water and protect the temple.
Tenryu is male, 2.93 metres tall, and Kinryu is female, 2.74 metres. Both are carved from Kiso cypress and were donated in 1978 by members of the Matsushita group.
They are the work of the sculptors Hiragushi Denchu and Sugawara Yasuo.
These are figures of faith. Take your photos, but do not climb on the railings or touch the statues.
How to Get to Kaminarimon Gate
Kaminarimon is about 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station. Three lines stop at stations named Asakusa, and all are close to the gate.
| Line | From | Walk to the gate |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Metro Ginza Line | Ueno, Ginza, Shibuya | About 5 minutes |
| Toei Asakusa Line | Exit A4, through trains from Haneda and Narita on some services | About 5 minutes |
| Tobu Skytree Line | Tokyo Skytree, Nikko | About 5 minutes |
The Ginza Line from Ueno takes about 5 minutes. The Tsukuba Express also has an Asakusa station, further west near Kappabashi.
With a stroller, check before the day which exit at your Asakusa station has a lift. Some exits on the subway lines are stairs only, and the pavement in front of the gate is crowded by late morning.
Best Time to Visit and Photo Tips
The best times for Kaminarimon are before 9:00 and after dark. Between those, from late morning to mid-afternoon, the space in front of the gate is crowded with tour groups, rickshaws and people taking photos, especially at weekends.
- Early morning. Before 9:00 the light is soft and you can photograph the gate with few people in the frame. The Nakamise shops are still shuttered.
- Evening. The gate is lit up after dark, and the crowds thin out. It is calm and the red glows, though the Senso-ji Main Hall is closed by then.
- From behind. Walk through and look back. You get the lantern, the dragon gods and, across the road, the timber-slatted Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center designed by Kengo Kuma.
- Festival days. During the Sanja Matsuri in May and over New Year, the area is packed. During Sanja Matsuri the lantern is folded up.
Photo manners. Step to the side to take your photo rather than stopping in the middle of the gate, keep the walkway clear for people going to pray, and do not use a tripod in the crowd.
Kaminarimon Etiquette
Treat Kaminarimon as the entrance to a temple, because it is. There are no tickets and no strict rules for visitors at the gate itself, and nobody expects you to know the customs, but a few small things are noticed.
- A small bow is welcome, not required. Many Japanese visitors bow once as they pass under the gate. You can do the same, or just walk through quietly.
- Keep the centre clear. Do not stop for long under the lantern. People are walking through to pray.
- Respect the statues. Fujin, Raijin, Tenryu and Kinryu protect the temple. Do not touch them or climb the railings.
- Eat at the stall. Along Nakamise, eat your snack next to the shop that sold it rather than while walking.
Kaminarimon with Kids and Our Classic Morning in Asakusa
Kaminarimon is where our classic first day in Tokyo starts. We meet families at their hotel at 9:30, walk in through the gate, along Nakamise to Senso-ji and the five-storey pagoda, and carry on to a tea ceremony and lunch in Asakusa before the afternoon at the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower.
For children, the gate works best as a short, active stop. Give them a job, such as finding the dragon under the lantern, deciding which statue is the wind god and which is thunder, and spotting the dragons on the back.
Then move on to Nakamise, where the snacks are.
ONOI always take a family photo. One in front of Kaminarimon and one in front of Senso-ji.
Kimono. Families who want to walk through Kaminarimon in kimono usually rent them in Asakusa and start an hour earlier. See our kimono rental guide.
If you would like this morning planned for your family, with the stroller-friendly exits, the tea ceremony and lunch booked, it is part of our private Tokyo tour with kids. Our other tours in Tokyo and our guide to Tokyo with kids have more ideas for the rest of the trip.
What to See After Kaminarimon
Through the gate, the walk continues straight to Senso-ji, and there is plenty more within 15 minutes on foot.
- Nakamise-dori. About 250 metres of snack and souvenir stalls between Kaminarimon and Hozomon Gate.
- Senso-ji and the five-storey pagoda. The Main Hall opens at 6:00, or 6:30 from October to March, and closes at 17:00. Our Senso-ji guide covers the temple, the giant sandals on Hozomon and omikuji fortunes.
- A tea ceremony. Asakusa has several tea ceremony rooms for visitors. See our tea ceremony guide.
- Kappabashi. The kitchen-supply street, with a food sample workshop for children aged 6 and over. See our Kappabashi guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Kaminarimon Gate free?
-
Yes. Kaminarimon is free and open at all hours. Senso-ji's grounds are also free. Only the Main Hall has opening hours, from 6:00 (6:30 from October to March) to 17:00.
- What is written on the Kaminarimon lantern?
-
The front reads "Kaminarimon", Thunder Gate. The back reads "Furaijinmon", the gate's formal name, meaning the Gate of the Wind and Thunder Gods. The base of the lantern is a carved wooden dragon.
- How heavy is the Kaminarimon lantern?
-
It weighs about 700 kilograms and is 3.9 metres tall and 3.3 metres wide. It is made of paper and bamboo and is replaced every so often. The current lantern was hung in April 2020.
- Who rebuilt Kaminarimon?
-
Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic, paid for the current gate in 1960 as a personal donation, in thanks for his recovery from illness after the temple prayed for him. The gate had been missing since a fire in 1865.
- What is the difference between Kaminarimon and Hozomon?
-
Kaminarimon is the outer gate with the red lantern and the wind and thunder gods. Hozomon is the inner gate at the end of Nakamise, guarded by two Nio statues, with giant straw sandals on its back.
- What is the best time to visit Kaminarimon?
-
Come before 9:00 in the morning or after dark, when the gate is lit up. Late morning to mid-afternoon, especially at weekends, is the most crowded time.
Kaminarimon Gate
Address
Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 2-3-1
Nearest station
Asakusa Station (Ginza Line / Tobu Skytree Line / Toei Asakusa Line / TX Asakusa Line)
Sources
https://www.senso-ji.jp/guide/guide01.html
https://www.senso-ji.jp/english/
https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R1-01373.html
https://www.gotokyo.org/en/spot/14/index.html
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