The Great Lantern of Asakusa: Hiroshige's Snowy Temple Gate
The giant red lantern you see in every photo of Asakusa today, painted in the snow over 160 years ago. The story behind Hiroshige's view of Sensō-ji temple.
A Gate You Might Recognize
If you have seen photos of Tokyo, you have probably seen this gate. A huge red paper lantern hangs in the middle of it, and crowds pour through underneath. It is the front gate of Sensō-ji, the temple at Asakusa, and one of the most photographed spots in the city.
Hiroshige drew the same gate and the same giant lantern more than 160 years ago, in the snow.
What You Are Looking At
The gate is the Kaminarimon, the "Thunder Gate." The temple behind it has a long formal name, Kinryūzan Sensōji. "Kinryūzan" means "Golden Dragon Mountain." Through the gate you can see a five-story pagoda in the distance.
Hiroshige sets the whole scene in fresh snow, with the flakes still falling. The streets here were usually packed with shops, food stalls, and crowds, but in this print they are empty, hushed by the weather. The only strong colors are the reds of the gate and the lantern against the white. In old Japan, red and white together was a lucky, festive pairing, fitting for the start of winter.
The Oldest Temple in the City
Sensō-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo. It is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist figure of mercy.
The story goes that in the year 628, two brothers fishing on the Sumida River pulled a small golden statue of Kannon out of the water in their net. A temple was built to hold it, and it has stood at Asakusa ever since. Over the centuries the area around it grew into one of Edo's great gathering places, full of theaters, shops, and crowds. The giant red lantern Hiroshige painted still hangs at the gate today.
Hiroshige's Last Great Series
This print comes from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, the series Hiroshige made at the end of his life, between 1856 and 1858. Despite the name, it holds about 118 prints, and a few were finished by his student after Hiroshige died in 1858. Many people consider it his finest work, and one of the high points of ukiyo-e.
The Print We Have
The print we carry is a reproduction of Hiroshige's design. It is a real woodblock print, made by hand in the traditional way, not a machine copy. It measures about 255 by 377mm. It is pre-owned and shows some age, with a few spots and marks, which is normal for a print like this. The product page has photos of the exact condition.
You can see more Hiroshige prints here. We also wrote about another print from this series, the Kameido Tenjin Shrine. New to prints? Our guide on original, reprint, or reproduction explains the terms.
Sources
Brooklyn Museum — Kinryūzan Temple, Asakusa, from the complete One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.
Art Institute of Chicago — Kinryūzan Temple at Asakusa.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Kinryūzan Temple, Asakusa.
John Fiorillo, Viewing Japanese Prints — on Hiroshige.