ASAKUSA || Well Wishes for The New Decade
It was the fourth day of a new decade, and throngs of locals and visitors alike are dressed in traditional kimonos to visit the Sensoji in Asakusa to welcome their good fortune for the new decade.
Numerous visitors made a little hop to touch the bottom of the enormous lantern at the Kaminarimon Gate - the superstition being that doing so will bring good luck.
The busy intersection at the Kaminarimon Gate.
An overwhelming amount of souvenirs are available for your perusal, if you have the time to scour through all the retail shops to search for treasure.
The 200-metre shopping street (‘Nakamise’) beyond the Kaminarimon Gate leading to the second gate, Hozomon, was jam packed with people, so we had to resort to walking through the side streets past the back of the shops to avoid the crowds. While some enjoy the bustling atmosphere and continue to line up for the food stalls and souvenir shops lining the street, you know it’s more crowded than normal when you hear locals expressing their surprise, uttering “sugoi konde ite ne!” (Wow! It’s really crowded!)
An important occasion visiting the temple must be documented with an abundance of selfies.
The crowd lining up to get their fortune “Mikuji”.
Since we made the hour-long trek from Tokyo to Asakusa, we decided to make it worth our while by visiting several food stalls and consuming everything from deep-fried mochi, deep-fried fish on a stick, pork belly skewers and more. Numerous food stalls flank both sides of the temple near Hozomon Gate, making it an easy decision to stop by for a snack after getting their “mikuji” fortune at the temple.
Asakusa definitely makes for a scenic day trip, but if you aren’t a fan of crowds, it may be best to avoid the new year rush and the associated line ups. There are plenty of activities to enjoy and scenes to take in while you are here, including the delicious sukiyaki, delectable traditional treats, juicy meat skewers, colorful decorations, vibrantly dressed guests and more.
A food vendor selling beef and pork skewers.
Great value pork belly skewers for just 600 yen (approx. $6 USD).
Girls wearing colourful kimonos for their new year outing.
Visit during the new year and you could end up taking a photo of another person’s photo.
