Shrines and shopping in Asakusa

Today was filled with visits to major shopping areas of both the eastern and western sides of Tokyo. Asakusa in the east is an area with small vendors all packed in narrow streets and shops which lead up to the Sensoji Temple. The way into the shopping area begins with the Kaminarimon Gate and its gods on either side of a massive paper lantern...

Raijin - the Shinto god of thunder & lightning

Walking through the gate into...

 

Yes, lots of shopping with lots of people.

Maybe you need a lucky cat...they got tons of them.

 Or maybe cats in clothes like people, or wearing fruit on their heads...

And of course kimonos for both the ladies and the gentlemen. I got a Yukata here, a casual summer kimono made of cotton, also likened to pajamas or a bathrobe.

After walking down the main strip of shops we came to the Sensoji Temple, and also here is a five-story tall Pagoda.

Just before the main temple is an area where you can shake a box of sticks until one falls out and the markings on it will direct you to a box with a fortune on it. Here is mine...

Michelle on the other hand didn't like her fortune, so the practice in this case is to tie the fortune paper to a rack and they get rid of the bad fortunes later.

We then went to lunch to have some sashimi which was excellent.

Then it was back to the shopping, when we suddenly came across a cartoon caricature studio which produced this funny piece:

Here's the artist's Instagram page. Who knows, maybe ours will show up on there soon!

And a little treat for the road, fish shaped pancake with custard filling.