Sensō-ji, The Red Beauty in Asakusa

18 Maret, Tahun 628

March 18, 628 AD

Hinokuma dan Takenari Hamanari, dua bersaudara sedang mencari ikan di Sungai Sumida. Dua nelayan ini merasakan hal yang janggal dan tergerak untuk menebarkan jaring di salah satu sisi sungai.

Hinokuma and Takenari Hamanari are siblings looking for fish in Sumida River. The two fishermen had a hunch, and decided to throw their fishing nets at one side of the river.

Jaring terasa berat dan mereka segera menarik ke atas perahu dan terkaget-kaget saat menemukan patung Bodhisattva Kannon, salah satu dewa Budha.

The net felt heavy, and they pulled the net up unto the boat and was in awe to find a Bodhisattva Kannon statue, one of the Gods in Buddhism.

Kabar ini segera tersiar dan kepala desa Asakusa, Haji No Nakamoto langsung mendatangi patung tersebut. Saat tersadar bahwa patung Bodhisattva Kannon secara misterius muncul di sungai, Nakamoto langsung bersumpah untuk hidup sebagai biksu dan mendedikasikan dirinya untuk Bodhisattva Kannon.

The news was spread quickly, and Haji No Nakamoto, Asakusa village head hurriedly went to see the statue. When he realized that the Bodhisattva Kannon statue mysteriously appeared in the river, Nakamoto made a life commitment to be a monk and to dedicate himself to Bodhisattva Kannon.

Ia mengubah rumahnya menjadi kuil, yang kini bernama Sensō-ji.

He turned his home into a temple, which is now known as Sensō-ji. 

10 Februari 2015

February 10, 2015

Saya turun dari bus. Cuaca saat itu cukup dingin, kami harus menggunakan jaket tebal. Meski dikelilingi berbagai bangunan, angin di area Asakusa ini bertiup cukup kencang dan dingin tentunya.

I got off the bus. The weather was quite cold, and we had to use a thick jacket. Even if we were surrounded by many buildings, the wind in Asakusa area still blew quite hard.

Namun udara dingin tidak membuat Sensō-ji sepi. Kuil Buddha tertua di Jepang ini dipenuhi ratusan, atau mungkin ribuan orang.

Even with the cold weather, Sensō-ji remained crowded as ever. The oldest Buddhist temple in Japan is filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.

Sensō-ji itu merah, setidaknya itu yang paling saya perhatikan sejak tiba di area kuil ini. Bangunan kuil utama, gerbang dengan "lampion" merah besar dan menara merah. Warna cerah ini menjadi ciri utama Sensō-ji, termasuk membuat kuil di Asakusa ini semakin indah, bahkan di saat cuaca begitu dingin.

Sensō-ji is red, at least that’s what I’ve noticed since arriving in the temple area. In the main temple building, there is a big red lantern and a red tower. The bright red color is Sensō-ji ‘s main feature - it is also what makes the Asakusa temple more beautiful, even in this cold weather.

Cukup sulit mencari spot foto tanpa ditutupi manusia. Area tengah sangat padat, saya perlu menunggu untuk menemukan lokasi dimana saya dapat melihat beberapa sisi tanpa "disesaki" orang di depan saya.

It’s quite hard to find a photography spot without it being covered by people. The middle part is so crowded. I had to wait for a location where I can cover quite a few spots without it being jammed by someone in front of me.

all cute stuffs

Meski sesak, Sensō-ji tetap cantik dengan warna merahnya. Dan saat berjalan ke area luar, jalanan penuh dengan berbagai toko menarik membuat mata saya sulit melihat lurus. Nakamise market di area dekat Sensō-ji ini dipenuhi berbagai barang menarik khas Jepang, dan tentunya dipenuhi turis yang memadati jalanan.

Even though the place was so cramped, Sensō-ji is still gorgeous with its red color. And when walking to the outer area, the streets were full of a lot of very interesting stores, making it hard for my eyes to look straight ahead. Nakamise market, located nearby Sensō-ji is full of many things you can find only in Japan. And of course, tourists swarm the streets.

the red tower

Bodhisattva Kannon dipercaya sebagai dewa yang paling penuh dengan kasih sayang, menghilangkan penderitaan dan mendengarkan doa.

Bodhisattva Kannon is known as a God that is full of love, able to remove pain and hear our prayers.

Mereka yang penuh kasih sayang biasanya seringkali dikelilingi banyak orang yang senang dengan kehadiran mereka. Saya anggap saja semua manusia yang berdesakan ini, juga karena kasih sayang Bodhisattva Kannon :)

People full of love are usually surrounded by happy people that are delighted by their presence. Let’s just say that all the people crammed in this place are here because of Bodhisattva Kannon’s abundant love :)

@marischkaprue - her blood is red and she hopes that she can be more compassionate

NOTES:

• Sensō-ji temple terletak di 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku
• Sensō-ji Temple is located at 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku
• Saya datang ke Asakusa dalam bagian dari Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour dari Sunrise Tour JTB. Selain berkunjung ke Asakusa, melalui tour ini saya pun dapat menikmati Tokyo City Tour dengan bus hingga naik ke Tokyo Skytree. Biaya Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour adalah sekitar 6.600 Yen per orang. Lihat keterangan lengkap di sini
• I came to Asakusa as a part of the Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour from Sunrise Tour JTB. Aside from visiting Asakusa, by using this tour I got to enjoy Tokyo City Tour via bus and got on the Tokyo Skytree also. The Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour is around 6600 Yen per person. Click here for the full info  
• Jika khusus ingin melihat beberapa kuil, ada opsi tour Cityrama Tokyo Morning, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Gardens dan Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa) dengan harga 5.000 Yen per orang. Lihat keterangan lengkap di sini
• If you wanted to specifically see temples, you can choose to explore these places: Cityrama Tokyo Morning, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Gardens and  Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa) with 5000 Yen per person. The full info is here  

 Location map: 

 

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