Hōzōmon Gate, Asakusa Live Cam

The Hozomon gate at Senso-ji stands below this webcam, at the oldest temple in Tokyo, in the district of Asakusa. The two-storey gate stands in the middle of the frame, with the five-storey pagoda on the left and the main hall behind it.

Hozomon is the inner gate of the complex and holds sutras on its upper floor, guardian statues in the openings and a pair of enormous straw sandals on the rear wall. The present concrete structure was put up in 1964 after wartime bombing, and beyond it stands the hall dedicated to Kannon that draws tens of millions of visitors a year.

The approach through Nakamise, the shopping lane south of here, funnels people up to the gate all day. At New Year the courtyard in view fills solidly for the first temple visit of the year.