Senso-ji Temple's Secret Japanese Garden in Asakusa

Senso-ji in Asakusa Tokyo is famous for its tall pagoda, red gates, and huge lanterns, but the temple also has a fantastic Japanese garden. It lies hidden, closed to the public together with Dembou-in, the residency of the temple's head priest. In the spring, the garden is open to visitors.

March 13 - May 7, 2015 you can visit the garden at Dembou-in. This is an exceptional opportunity to see Asakusa and Senso-ji from a different perspective.

Before you enter the garden, you can see a small but impressive exhibition of temple treasures. In the spring of 2014, Senso-ji's golden dragon used for a dragon dance at the temple was on display. Other exhibits included massive wooden panels depicting historical scenes and legends that were part of the buildings. Some still have hinges on the thick frames. No pictures were allowed inside.

The garden itself is surprisingly big. In the middle is a pond with koi carp. You can walk around it following a narrow path with stepping stones. Cherry blossoms and many other cute spring flowers are out now.

"It is said that this garden was made by Kobori Enshu, an eminent gardener in early 17th century. The area of of this garden is approximately 10000 square meters, and it is a circuit style garden. The scene you would see changes as you walk around in the garden. In the old days, this garden was open to nobles only, and ordinary citizens were not allowed to enter the garden." Thank you for letting us in now!

The entrance to the garden is next to the pagoda near the Main Hall. The garden is open 10:00- 16:00, but Senso-ji temple itself is always open. The entrance fee of 300 Yen.

http://www.senso-ji.jp/guide/index_e.html