#jōkōro#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. Some people also offer incense here before heading to the main hall to pay their respects. If you take a closer look, you’ll also see a dragon carved into the side of the jōkōro.

#jōkōro#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. There’s a belief that being exposed to the smoke can make you smarter, cure illnesses, and more.

#jōkōro#Sensoji#Temple#Cultural#Tokyo. At Sensoji Temple in particular, the incense burner is called a jōkōro, which basically means “smoke is always rising.” .You’ll often see people gathering around it, bathing themselves in the incense smoke to purify both body and mind.

#jōkōro#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. Burning incense actually started in India as a way to get rid of bad smells, but over time, it became a way to show respect and pray to Buddha. That practice eventually made its way to Japan along with Buddhism.

#jōkōro#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. A kōro is an incense burner, a kind of vessel used to burn incense. It's usually made from materials like ceramic, copper, gold, or silver.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. Finally, rinse the handle of the ladle with the remaining water by tilting it upright, and then return the ladle to where it was.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. After that, switch it back to your right hand, fill the ladle again, and pour some water into your left hand to rinse your mouth. Then wash your left hand one more time.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. So here's how to do it. First, hold the ladle in your right hand and use it to scoop water to wash your left hand. Then switch the ladle to your left hand and wash your right hand.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. There’s a specific ritual for how to wash your hands at the omizuya. Water comes out of the mouths of eight dragon-shaped taps in thin streams.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. If you look up at the ceiling, you’ll see a dragon painting done in India ink. The dragon is believed to be a guardian of water.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. Kouun Takamura also made the statue of Saigo Takamori in Ueno Park who is such a well-known historical figure in Japan that pretty much everyone here knows who he is.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#Tokyo. It was created by Kouun Takamura, a famous Japanese sculptor who was actually from around this area. Sakara Dragon King is considered one of the Eight Dragon Kings who are said to be the protectors of a Buddhist scripture called the Lotus Sutra.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. The big octagonal basin is made from a type of granite called sabimikage-ishi in Japanese. And the statue with a dragon on its head is made of bronze. It’s called the statue of Sakara Dragon King, who’s a Dragon God.

#chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. Here at Sensoji Temple, though, it’s called omizuya. This uses the same Chinese characters as chōzuya, just a different reading.

手��舎. #chōzuya#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. This area is generally called chōzuya. It’s where people wash their hands and purify themselves before paying respect to the gods at shrines and temples.

#Omikuji#Sensoji#CulturalTraditionalTokyo. To be more specific, it’s said that the current form of Omikuji comes from something called Ganzan Daishi Hyakusen, which was created by Ryogen based on a chinese lottery system called Tenjikureisen that had been introduced earlier.

#Omikuji#Sensoji. And he is the one who’s said to be the originator of Omikuji. Then, in the early 1600s, a monk named Tenkai helped spread the practice to the general public, and that’s when it became common for everyday people to draw fortunes at shrines and temples.

#Omikuji#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. It’s also said that the roots of the current form of omikuji go back to China. There was a Buddhist monk named Ryogen, also known as Ganzan Daishi. He was a high priest of the Tendai sect in the 10th century.

#Omikuji.No one really knows exactly where Omikuji originated, but it’s believed that in ancient Japan, people used to draw lots to understand the will of the gods, especially for big things like national rituals or choosing successors.That might be where the practice comes from.

#Omikuji#Sensoji#Temple#CulturalTraditionalJapan#Tokyo. It’s not just about judging your luck, but also about reflecting on what it says and using that to guide your choices going forward.