This is the 1:400 scale temple kit from Doyusha models of the Sensō-ji Temple 金龍山浅草寺 in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan, a mere two minute ride north from Tokyo main rail station.
The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a five-story pagoda and the Asakusa Shinto shrine. During World War II, the temple was bombed and destroyed during an air raid. It was rebuilt later and is a symbol of rebirth and peace to the Japanese people. In the courtyard there is a tree that was hit by a bomb in the air raids, and a new tree has grown in the husk of the old tree. It is the most visited spiritual site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually.
The Hōzōmon (宝蔵門, "Treasure-House Gate") is the inner of two large entrance gates. Hōzōmon's second story houses many of the Sensō-ji's treasures. The first story houses two statues, three lanterns and two large sandals.
The five-story pagoda is one of the most famous in Japan. Its height is 53.32 meters. The original pagoda is said to have been built in 942 CE in the Edo period. At the bottom of the pagoda there are 100 statues and more than 10,0000 ihai tablets. Buddha's ashes, officially inherited from the Isurumuniya temple in Sri Lanka, are stored on the top floor.
This was a fun weekend Covid-19 build. I want to build more kits from their castle and temple series. The giant red lantern in the gate building has the actual Japanese character inscription written on it by me with a fine Sharpie pen. The sign over the gate does not appear in the instructions, but is in the kit. I painted it to match the actual sign, and used a gold paint pen dry brushed on to make the lettering stand out.
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| Sensō-ji Temple 金龍山浅草寺 |
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| Sensō-ji Temple 金龍山浅草寺 |
