The Five Yen of Happiness! About that Five Yen Coin….The Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

The Five Yen of Happiness! About that Five Yen Coin….The Sensoji Temple, Asakusa.

• I give in – I need a break (Introduction)
• To Heathrow and The BA Galleries North Lounge
• BA902 London Heathrow to Frankfurt Airport in Club Europe
• Bumbling around Frankfurt Airport with random #AVGeek spotting
• Meeting the A350 and the Air Canada Lounge
• Qatar Airways QR068 Frankfurt to Doha
• The joy of Hamad International Airport, and The Oryx Rotana Hotel
• Qatar Airways Flight QR812 Doha to Tokyo Haneda
• The Hotel JAL City Haneda Tokyo
• Shikansen Adventures to Hiroshima!
• Time in Hiroshima (featuring the ANA Crowne Plaza Hiroshima)
• Hirosihima – 70 years on
• A day trip to Itsukushima
• More Shinkansen fun to Kyoto (Featuring Kyoto Tower Hotel)
• A trip up to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
• Dinner with The real_jetsetr!
• The JR Central SC Maglev and Rail Museum
• Shinkansen to Tokyo
• The Strings by InterContinental
• Cheap evening – From the Tokyo Metropolitan Building
• The JR East Railway Museum, Saitama
• Shibuya nights
• Akihabara Days
• Gotta Catch them All! A few Pokemon Centres.
• Off to Narita
• Nartia Airport, The JAL Lounge
• Qatar Airways Flight QR807 Tokyo Narita to Doha
• Four and Half Hours in Doha Airport
• Qatar Airways Flight QR067 Doha to Frankfurt
• More time in Frankfurt
• BA8735 Frankfurt to London City Airport (Club Europe)
• Homeward
• Memories
• And about that Five Yen Coin – The Sensoji Temple, Asakusa
  

So by now, you should be aware that I’ve been carrying around a five yen coin on my keyring to bring me good fortune

Whilst it had been with me for a few years, it was time to return it to Japan, and give it to a temple for others to have good fortune with.

My journey took me to Asakusa – an older part of Tokyo.

Asakusa is easy to get to – it’s on the end of the Asakusa Line of the Tokyo Metro (and yes, you will need to buy tickets or load up an IC Card as it is outside the JR Rail network). Choose the right exit and you’ll be greeted by the Ashi Flame (what can be best described locally as “the golden turd”).

Oh well. It is golden. It is shaped like… well… umm… Shall I try move on whilst I can? Yes. Let’s move on.

Heading through the throng, I proceeded to the first gate of the shrine.

You honestly can’t miss it – The Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate”

The Semijo Temple was founding in 628, as shrine to Bodhisattva Kannon – the goddess of compassion. And in the world we’re in – a little compassion can go a long way.

Before approaching the temple, one has to negotiate the joy of a shopping street in front of the temple.

A bit of tradition too in evidence with a local wearing a yukata as they’re browsing the shopping street.

Old and New – the Tokyo Skytree in the distance.

Approaching the 2nd gate.

The second gate before the temple.

Passing underneath the gate.

The five story pagoda

The entrance to the temple – incense burning and praying.

The shrine entrance.

I peeled off to the right and spent considerable time removing the five yen coin from the key ring. And trust me on this… it didn’t want to come off the key ring.

Almost as if it knew it was time for it to leave me.

But eventually, it came off and was ready to be offered.

Time to say Sayōnara to this coin.

I took my place in the queue and when my turn came, I run the bell, clapped twice to summon the goddess, deposited my offering and made a wish with my heart before clapping again – so another person could take my place.

The massive paper lantern at the temple.

I then went into the temple to marvel away.

Moving away from the madness of the Buddhist shrine, I headed toward the Shinto area which was much more traditional… and quiet.

Time for contemplation.

And the shrine was there too.

The Senosji Shinto Shrine.

Looking back to the Buddhist temple.

The old and new juxtaposition that is uniquely Japan.

With myself relived from my five yen coin and also picking up a few little trinkets – I wandered away from the temple area and onwards.

Leaving the temple area

With my spirit for-filled I headed onwards… and towards Akihabara… and onwards.

But during my trip to Japan… I picked up something more. Three more Five Yen Coins.

… and rightly attached to my keyring.

These three five yen coins represent important things to me:

• Sharing – If you see me on my travels, and need some happiness, please ask for one of the three Five Yen coins (I’m keeping one for myself though)
• Memories – the backbone of my travel
• A Promise – To return to Japan.

And that brings me to the end of The Five Yen of Happiness. May your travels bring you equal happiness and joy.

Next on my travels: It’s Autumn/Fall/Pick your season. It’s coming to October, so it’s time for my half-yearly health check of the state of economy class across the pond. . Join me in “Exploring the Unfamiliar – To Chicago and Boston with American Airlines and British Airways”

Because this journey – familiar as it is… has unfamiliar elements to it…

Until we meet again through the pages of a trip report or when you’re browsing my writings, I thank you for reading “The Five Yen of Happiness”.

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