Kaminarimon, Buddhist entrance gate in Asakusa, 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.
Military commander Taira no Kinmasa ordered the construction of this gate in 941 to mark the approach to the temple. After several fires destroyed earlier versions, the current concrete structure was completed in 1960 and has since replaced the wooden predecessors.
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.
During the Sanja Matsuri festival, the central lantern is pulled aside to allow taller objects like portable shrines to pass through. This adjustment happens through a mechanical mechanism that lifts and secures the lantern until the procession moves on.
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