The legend goes that in 628 CE two brothers found a statue at the bottom of the Sumida River while out fishing and brought it back to their home. The village head, upon seeing the object, recognized it as the Buddhist deity of mercy, Guanyin, and felt compelled to enter priesthood and transform his own house into a temple. This was the beginning of Sensoji Temple and the statue is said to be enshrined in the hondo (main building). While the temple is the centrepiece of Asakusa, visitors should approach from the south side via Kaminarimon for the full experience.
