Asakusa

Senso-ji Temple

A temple located in Taito Ward. At present it is the head temple for the Shokannon Sect. It was formerly of the Tendai Sect. It's sango (honorific mountain name prefixed to a temple's name) is Kinyuzan. It is said the temple began when in 628, 2 brothers were fishing downstream in the Sumida-gawa River and discovered a Kannon statue in their net, which they enshrined in a straw thatched shrine. The temple did well after the founding of Edo as the place of worship of the Tokugawa Clan. The site is one of the leading sacred sites dedicated to the Kannon, and was one of the busiest entertainment spots in all of the Kanto region. The shops lining the passageway from the Kaminari-mon Gate dedicated to Fujin (wind god) and Raijin (thunder god) to the Nio Gate (reconstructed and renamed the Hozo-mon Gate after World War II) began from the shops being assigned the cleaning of the temple grounds in exchange for being allowed to set up the shops within the temple. The temple is also famous for its pigeons. The year-end market and the minoichi (straw and bamboo hat market) were both very popular year-end events. The year-end market was also called the Hagoita-ichi (paddle market, because of the paddles used in traditional New Year's games) and sold New Year's decorations, foods, kitchen goods and other products and was held from December 17-18. The minoichi was a market where people would come from neighboring areas to sell straw raincoats and bamboo hats and was held on March 19 (18 during years with no festival) and December 19, the day after the year-end market.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

浅草観音雷神門

名所江戸百景　浅草金竜山

東都名所　浅草金竜山

浅草金竜山

浅草金竜山朝の雪

東都名所浅草金竜山下東橋雨中望

東都名所　浅草金竜山年ノ市

〔東都名所〕　〔浅草金竜山年之市群集〕

浅草金竜山弁天山雪中之図

江戸名所之内浅草金竜山弁天山之図

Photos

東京景色写真版

日本之名勝

日本之勝景 : 一名・帝国美観

仁山智水帖

日本之勝観

最新東京名所写真帖

東京名所写真帖 : Views of Tokyo [2]

東京風景

Other Materials

金龍山浅草寺（本文）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
金龍山浅草寺[其一]（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
金龍山浅草寺其二（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
金龍山浅草寺其三（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
金龍山浅草寺其四（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
金龍山浅草寺其五（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
十二月十八日年の市　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）

Asakusa okuyama

The area behind Senso-ji Temple. This was one of the prominent Edo amusement districts. In addition to lines of entertainment booths, the area also served as a base for showmen, providing a variety of unique performances like acrobatics and street performances using swords while selling goods. The majority of the entertainment booths moved to Rokku in the Meiji Era.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

浅草奥山桜花盛之図

古代江戸繪集

浅草奥山四季花園入口光景

[ちりめん絵]

浅草金竜山奥山花屋敷

東都浅草花やしき紫陽花

Matsuchiyama

Matsuchiyama is a small hill located in the present day Sumida Park, which provides views of Mt. Tsukuba to the East and Mt. Fuji to the west. The Imado-bashi Bridge that is at the bottom of the hill spans the lowest course of the Sanya-bori Moat and connects present day Asakusa 7 chome and Imado 1 chome. The area under the bridge was bustling with ships travelling between Yoshiwara.