Kaminarimon en Kanji, Katakana et Hiragana

Description for Kaminarimon

The name of the south gate of Sensoji Temple in Taito Ward, Tokyo, and the surrounding area. The name comes from the statues of the gods of thunder and wind placed on either side of the gate, and it is also called the Gate of Thunder. It is also a symbol of Asakusa.

via Google Maps
(Photo by Zangyo-ninja)

The official name is “Furaijinmon.”

The name Furaijinmon comes from the fact that the gods of wind and thunder are enshrined on either side of the gate. The main gate was moved to its current location after the Kamakura period, and it is believed that the wind god and thunder god were enshrined at that time. The wind god and thunder god are gods who control wind and rain, and they were enshrined to ward off wind and rain disasters and protect the temple. At the same time, prayers for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest were also included.

About the giant lantern

Behind the Thunder Gate are two sculptures of a celestial dragon and a golden dragon. The giant red lantern with the Chinese characters for “Thunder Gate” carved on it is 3.9 meters high, 3.3 meters wide, and weighs approximately 700 kilograms. The bottom of the lantern is decorated with an elaborate dragon sculpture.

Historical overview

Kaminarimon Gate was originally built in 942 by Taira no Kiyomasa and later rebuilt at its current location. It has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt many times, and the current Kaminarimon Gate was rebuilt in 1960 with a donation from Konosuke Matsushita (founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now Panasonic).

Explanation of the calligraphy

The top row is in hiragana, the middle row is in kanji, and the bottom row is in katakana.
Photo taken by Zangyo-ninja (via Google Maps)