0731, 3324 JAPAN (Kantō) - Kaminarimon, the outer gate of Sensō-ji, in Tokyo

3324

Posted on 10.07.2013, 01.01.2020
The Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) is the outer of the two large entrance gates that leads to the Sensō-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo, actually Tokyo's oldest temple. It was first built in 941, near to Komagata, but it was reconstructed in its current location in 1635. The gate has been destroyed many times, in 1639, 1757, and 1865, each time being, of course, reconstructed. Its current structure dates from 1960.

0731

On the front of the gate are displayed  the statues of the Shinto gods Fūjin (the god of wind) on the east side, and Raijin (the god of thunder), on the west side. On the reverse of the gate are the Buddhist god Tenryū, and the goddess Kinryū. In the center of the Kaminarimon, under the gate, hangs a giant red chōchin that is 4m tall, 3.4m in circumference and weighs 670kg.

About the stamps
On the postcard 0731

The stamp, depicting also Kaminarimon, is part of the series Travel Scenes Series Number 15  - Tokyo, Ueno / Asakusa and Sumidagawa Area, issued on April 23, 2012, designed by Maruyama Satoru and consisting of ten stamps with the same face value, 80 JPY:
• Giant Panda Ri Ri (Ueno Zoological Gardens)
• Giant Panda Shin Shin (Ueno Zoological Gardens)
• Shinobazu Pond (Ueno-onshi-koen Park) 1
• Shinobazu Pond (Ueno-onshi-koen Park) 2
• Kaminarimon (Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa) - It's on the postcard 0731
• Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa)
• Sumida River 1
• Sumida River 2
• Sumida Park
• Sumida River Fireworks Festival - It's on the postcard 0788
.
On the postcard 3324

The stamps are part of a series of 12 definitive stamps, issued on February 2, 2015:
• Maejima Hisoka (1835-1919) (1 JPY)
• Common chipmunk (3 JPY) - It's on the postcard 3333
• Macaca fuscata (5 JPY) - It's on the postcard 3333
• Crested ibis (10 JPY) - It's on the postcard 3398
• Japanese deer (20 JPY) - It's on the postcard 3324
• Red fox (30 JPY)
• Japanese serow (50 JPY) - It's on the postcard 3324
• Japanese primrose (100 JPY)
• Japanese wisteria (120 JPY)
• Japanese marigold bush (140 JPY)
• Towada-Hachimantai National Park (500 JPY)
• Fujizu (by Tanomura Chikuden) (1000 JPY)

References
Kaminarimon - Wikipedia

Sender 0731: Akiko Watanabe (direct swap)
Sent from ? (Japan), on 07.05.2012
Sender 3324: Irina Vasilescu
Sent from Tokyo (Kantō / Japan), on 27.08.2018