The first time I visited Japan, I stayed in Asakusa for a week. Asakusa is a small little town, with seemingly nothing significant about it. But it's home to one of Tokyo's oldest and most significant temples. Sensō-ji. I'd visited the temple on 3 occasions on my first visit to Japan. I'm not entirely sure why, but I never once questioned it, because the temple itself is so amazing to see and the buzz around the markets which lead up to the temple is so rife with energy and new spectacles that every time I'd visited, it felt like my first time.
This was my friend and I's second visit to Japan. But he hadn't seen the temple, so I said I'd take him there. Retreading the same steps I had tread 5 years ago was oddly surreal. Made even more so that this time I was doing so at night. A new experience for me, as I'd only ever visited the temple in the day. You may ask What's the difference? But as with every aspect of metropolitan life in Japan, one place in the day and night are not one and the same. Japan transforms when the night hits and even a 1367 year old temple manages to completely change when night falls. As most things would...because of the light...or lack of light. Hmmm... I forgot what I was saying and the point I was trying to make.
Stay with me. I'll get back on track in a minute.
So! During the day, the temple is absolute packed. It can take up to half an hour to walk up to the temple because there are so many people crowding the path ways. But at night it's a different story. There are a few stragglers, locals and tourists dotted about. But generally, the temple grounds are empty in comparison to the day; giving you all the time in the world to walk around, take pictures and just reflect and have a moment. Something you can't really do during day visits being your sense are being overloaded with EVERYTHING.
I'm gonna cast you back once again to my very first visit to the temple back in 2007. I had gotten into an multiple spats with one of my friends and when I get into those with somebody, I just don't want to be around them. I don't want to see their face. So every time we did things together, I felt uncomfortable and just kept thinking I just want to go the fuck home. I remember standing on the steps over looking Asakusa and calling my Dad. I got his voice mail due to the time difference and knew that I would, but just wanted to hear his voice. Weird really, as I wasn't really missing him. I don't ever miss any one. I'm that type of person. But I just wanted to hear the voice of someone from home and he came to mind. Flash forward 4 years and my feelings on my second visit were once again introspective. Memories of all of the good times from my first visit came flooding back. I could see them vividly, hear the epic and still quoted conversations we'd had. I stared at the pagoda in the distance and more thoughts kept running through my mind. About my life. About my friends. About Japan. About how it felt like I'd never even left despite it being 4 years since I last stood in the exact spot I was at the time. My mind was completely taken away from how fucking hot it was, which was a feat. Because the heat was searing. Even late at night in an area surrounded by wood and stretches of foliage.
It's baffling as to how a temple can be sat in the heart of one of the world' busiest cities and yet be so still and so calm. For that moment you're on the temple grounds at night, it's like silence blankets the place and it's just you and the voices in your head speaking your thoughts. It's a nice place for you to not only digest just how amazing Japan is as a country, but just things in general. It's a nice place to go to clear your head.
Visit the temple during the day to be a part of the mass marvel, spectacle and see all of the stalls. (A great place to buy souvenirs and the warm sweet sake is UH-MAZEBALLS!) But do take the time to visit the temple at night, which for me is when it all truly came alive and became real to me.
This was my friend and I's second visit to Japan. But he hadn't seen the temple, so I said I'd take him there. Retreading the same steps I had tread 5 years ago was oddly surreal. Made even more so that this time I was doing so at night. A new experience for me, as I'd only ever visited the temple in the day. You may ask What's the difference? But as with every aspect of metropolitan life in Japan, one place in the day and night are not one and the same. Japan transforms when the night hits and even a 1367 year old temple manages to completely change when night falls. As most things would...because of the light...or lack of light. Hmmm... I forgot what I was saying and the point I was trying to make.
Stay with me. I'll get back on track in a minute.
So! During the day, the temple is absolute packed. It can take up to half an hour to walk up to the temple because there are so many people crowding the path ways. But at night it's a different story. There are a few stragglers, locals and tourists dotted about. But generally, the temple grounds are empty in comparison to the day; giving you all the time in the world to walk around, take pictures and just reflect and have a moment. Something you can't really do during day visits being your sense are being overloaded with EVERYTHING.
I'm gonna cast you back once again to my very first visit to the temple back in 2007. I had gotten into an multiple spats with one of my friends and when I get into those with somebody, I just don't want to be around them. I don't want to see their face. So every time we did things together, I felt uncomfortable and just kept thinking I just want to go the fuck home. I remember standing on the steps over looking Asakusa and calling my Dad. I got his voice mail due to the time difference and knew that I would, but just wanted to hear his voice. Weird really, as I wasn't really missing him. I don't ever miss any one. I'm that type of person. But I just wanted to hear the voice of someone from home and he came to mind. Flash forward 4 years and my feelings on my second visit were once again introspective. Memories of all of the good times from my first visit came flooding back. I could see them vividly, hear the epic and still quoted conversations we'd had. I stared at the pagoda in the distance and more thoughts kept running through my mind. About my life. About my friends. About Japan. About how it felt like I'd never even left despite it being 4 years since I last stood in the exact spot I was at the time. My mind was completely taken away from how fucking hot it was, which was a feat. Because the heat was searing. Even late at night in an area surrounded by wood and stretches of foliage.
It's baffling as to how a temple can be sat in the heart of one of the world' busiest cities and yet be so still and so calm. For that moment you're on the temple grounds at night, it's like silence blankets the place and it's just you and the voices in your head speaking your thoughts. It's a nice place for you to not only digest just how amazing Japan is as a country, but just things in general. It's a nice place to go to clear your head.
Visit the temple during the day to be a part of the mass marvel, spectacle and see all of the stalls. (A great place to buy souvenirs and the warm sweet sake is UH-MAZEBALLS!) But do take the time to visit the temple at night, which for me is when it all truly came alive and became real to me.