Started by fisherman and farmers, Asakusa temple is a temple made by the working class and for the working class. It’s used to pray for good harvests or a good catch.
The official name of Kaminarimon is actually Fura-jinmon which translates to “Wind and Thunder Gate”.
From the front of Kaminorimon, look to the right and you will see a statue of the wind god. Now look to the left where you will see the statue of the thunder god. These statues are meant as prayers for a rich grain harvest. The god of thunder brings rain, which is essential for rice cultivation, but this is only possible If there is the wind god who brings the lightning and clouds.
On the bottom of the large red lantern in front of you is the Chinese character for dragon, which is pronounced “Ryu” in Japanese. “Ryu” is part of the official name of Asakusa temple, “Kin-RYU-zan Asakusa Temple”. This is derived from the passed-down legend which claims that the night after the fisherman discovered the Buddha, over 1000 pine trees suddenly began to grow, and from heaven a golden dragon descended.
If you move to the back of Kaminarimon, there are two more statues. Looking closely you will notice that each has a tail. These statues depict the dragon god of water, which is said to protect against fires. Long ago, one large worry for everyday people was fire because most structures were made of wood. Kaminarimon is no stranger to this worry-- it’s burned down three times. The last time it was destroyed was in the Edo period, and due to financing difficulties, the gate was not rebuilt for a long period of time.
After about 100 years the gate was finally rebuilt in 1960. The reconstruction effort was led by the founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita. He believed that whenever he prayed at Asakusa, his requests were always answered. As a thank you his answered prayers, he donated money for the rebuilding of Kaminarimon. Let's turn the page from the highlights of Kaminarimon.
