Kaminarimon, Buddhist temple gate in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
Kaminarimon is a Buddhist entrance gate in Asakusa, Tokyo, built from reinforced concrete and steel standing roughly 11.7 meters (38 feet) high and 11.4 meters (37 feet) wide. At its center hangs a red lantern measuring 3.9 meters (13 feet) in height and weighing 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds) that marks the passage beneath.
According to tradition, the gate was first built in 941 by Taira no Kinmasa, a military commander, and was moved to its present site in 1635. It burned repeatedly, notably in 1757 and 1865, and for nearly a century afterwards only temporary structures stood here. The current reinforced-concrete gate was dedicated in 1960, funded by a donation from Panasonic founder Kōnosuke Matsushita.
The four guardian figures each carry distinct names and meanings: Fujin and Raijin embody wind and thunder at the front, while Tenryu and Kinryu occupy the rear. Visitors often notice how passersby pause briefly to look at the statues before walking beneath the large lantern.
The gate forms the start of a direct route that runs through Nakamise shopping street toward Senso-ji temple. Visitors can view the statues and the large lantern easily from ground level without special equipment or prior knowledge.
The lantern is not swung aside but collapsed: its frame folds so taller objects can pass. This happens during Sanja Matsuri, when portable shrines cross the gate, and before typhoons, when the lanterns of Kaminarimon, Hozomon and the main hall are all folded. The 700-kilogram lantern is made by Takahashi Chochin in Kyoto and travels to Tokyo by ordinary roads.
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