New giant lantern debuts at Tokyo's Sensoji Temple

Apr 19, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 19, 2020 (NHK) - Tokyo's iconic Kaminarimon Gate was installed with a new giant lantern, but the unveiling ceremony was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Specially trained workers spent two hours on Friday hanging the lantern at the gate of Sensoji Temple.

The red lantern was made in Kyoto. It's about 4 meters long and 3.3 meters wide and weighs 700 kilograms.

The symbol of the Asakusa district has been replaced around once every 10 years since the gate was rebuilt in 1960.

The first replacement in seven years was originally intended to coincide with the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games that have been postponed until next year.

A local tourism association says about 30 million people visit the temple every year, but there are only a few tourists in recent days because of the state of emergency over the coronavirus.

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