Asakusa Kannon (The Sensoji Temple Tokyo, Japan)

Asakusa Kannon, of which the official name is Sensoji, is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, a popular Buddhist god. According to legend, the statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 by two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari.

Hajino Nakatomo, the headman of their village, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined the statue by remaking his own house into a small temple in Asakusa so that the villagers could worship the god. The blessings of the Kannon gradually received a higher reputation throughout Japanand people from near and far flocked to pray to the god. After numerous fires, the temple has been rebuilt and enlarged many times.

During the Kamakura period (1192 - 1333), it became the center of worship for the Kannon's so many ardent devotees. Since then Asakusa Kannon had been worshiped by may devout believers including feudal military leaders such as shouguns and samurais.

These believers protected the temple and donated various privileges. In particular the 17th century Shougun Tokugawa Iemitsu of the Edo shogunate donated a splendid main hall and other buildings. In the Edo period (1603 - 1868) and throughout the modern ages of Japan, Asakusa has been a site where the general public has come together.

The main hall, which had weathered three centuries and was specified as a national treasure, was unfortunately lost in an air raid in 1945, as were the five-storied pagoda and Hozomon gate. After World War II, numerous worshipers expressed their fervent wish to have the main hall rebuilt in its former grandeur and contributed money for the reconstruction. The present Main Hall, completed in 1958, is the fruit of their wishes and prayers. Though it is made of ferroconcrete, it has copied its Edo perod predecessor to the details. But only the Nitemmon Gate in the temple precinct remains from the Edo period.

Asakusa Kannon is one of the most famous centers for the Kannon worship in Japan as before. Millions of visitors come every month to pray for the Kannon's blessing for both themselves and their families and give thanks for the patronage of the god.

The Kannon's statue is worshiped in many families in Japan just as the Virgin Mother Mary in the Western countries. The face of the Kannon is often depicted as that of a gentle and noble lady. According to Buddhist teaching, the Kannon is the god of compassion and has great power to release human being from all kinds of sufferings. The Kannon also has great deal of power to purify people and help them obtain true happiness. A sutra says : "As soon as people's cries of agony reach the Kannon, the bodhisattva takes pity on them and saves them from the tortures of the Hell. If people offer sincere prayers to the Kannon, even fire cannot burn them, and water cannot drown them." In the Main Hall various Buddhist servieces are observed every day, offering prayers to the Kannon for the protection of people, the nation and the world.