This is the entrance to the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa which is close to downtown Tokyo. It is the largest and oldest temple in Tokyo. It is visited by millions of Japanese each year for worship and spiritual cleansing. Dating back to 645 AD, it has been an active temple except during restoration after being bombed during World War II.

It is common to see monks standing in public places collecting money; not just at the temple.

These little girls were at the temple to worship and we stood back and observed them as they approached the altar. With their parents; they walked up the steps to the altar, stood facing a statue of Buddha, clapped their hands twice, bowed briefly, and then backed away.

Inside the temple there was a large case that housed burning candles. We were told that when a Buddhist aborted a baby, they would sometimes purchase a candle to burn in order to recognize its spirit.
This week-end was the "Paddle Festival" in Asakusa. Legend has it that this was a game that young girls played during the new year celebration. It seems to be an earlier rendition of today's badminton.The loser of the game had her face smeared with ink.

This was just one of dozens of booths selling the elaborate and ornate paddles. I was standing next to a man who was negotiating (the first I've seen here) the price of two. They settled on the price of Y40,000 ($400)! His were probably two feet tall. The paddles ranged from about 10 inches to over three feet.

The shape of the character is made of padded brocade type material with intricate designs then glued onto a wooden paddle.