New Year’s Day in Asakusa 2026 #3

The Long 16 Minutes It Took to Reach Kaminarimon

Following the directions given by staff, I turned left and walked straight along the road beside Nakamise Street.
Little by little, I began to feel the flow of people slowing down.

As I approached the side of Kaminarimon, I could hear police officers speaking loudly through speakers.

“Please keep moving. Do not stop.”

When I looked again toward Kaminarimon, I noticed people taking photos while walking.
Normally, this area is one of Asakusa’s most famous photo spots, where visitors stop and take their time capturing the gate.
But during the New Year holidays, that simply wasn’t possible.

A Crowd Far Beyond My Imagination

Then, an even more shocking scene appeared before my eyes.
The number of people overflowing around Kaminarimon was far beyond what I had imagined.

The road in front of Kaminarimon, known as the Kaminarimon Crossing, was completely closed to traffic for the entire day.
No vehicles were allowed, and the wide road was filled wall-to-wall with people.

Many police officers were stationed nearby, carefully controlling the flow.
To reach the main hall, everyone had to pass through Kaminarimon—which meant joining this enormous line first.

Holding back a sigh, I found what seemed to be the end of the line and quietly joined it.

The Anxiety of a Goal You Can’t See

There were simply too many people to see where the line ended.
I could tell the line folded back somewhere ahead, but I had no idea where that turning point actually was.

Walking without knowing how far you still have to go creates a surprising amount of anxiety.

I’ve never liked crowds to begin with, and I usually avoid going out on busy weekends.
For me, this situation was especially stressful.

What made it worse was the fact that I can visit Asakusa any time.
“If I hadn’t come today, I wouldn’t need to deal with this at all,” I thought.
That realization only added to the stress.

Still, I had made up my mind to come on New Year’s Day, see this scene with my own eyes, and document it on my blog.
“Hang in there,” I told myself.

Almost Everyone Was With Someone

Looking around, I saw groups everywhere—friends, families, couples.
For a moment, it felt like I was the only one there alone.

I was visiting Asakusa by myself for work, but I decided that later, I would visit a shrine near my home with my children.
Thinking about that helped a little as the line crept forward.

Unexpected Views Only a Long Line Can Offer

The line moved painfully slowly, but there was one unexpected upside.
I was able to notice scenery I normally would never pay attention to.

Buildings I’d never really looked at, shop signs I’d never noticed before.
“Oh, there’s a shop like that here,”
“So that’s the name of this intersection.”

Eventually, I could finally see the first turning point: a sign reading Asakusa 1-chome.

The distance between Kaminarimon Crossing and Asakusa 1-chome Crossing is about 280 meters—
a four-minute walk under normal conditions.
But with this massive crowd, it took much longer to reach that point.

People Giving Up Along the Way

Some people couldn’t take it anymore and quietly left the line.
I completely understood how they felt.

If I hadn’t decided to write this blog, I probably would have told myself,
“I don’t really need to pray today.”

But after turning the corner, I realized something even more shocking.

Right next to us was another line—heading back toward Asakusa 1-chome.

In other words, we had to walk this route twice.

I was already close to tears.

A Perfect Blue Sky, at Least

The sky was a clear, cloudless blue.
Tokyo Skytree stood beautifully in the distance.

After reaching the second turning point, the line finally started moving a little faster, and there was more space between people.
Yellow tape marked “Metropolitan Police Department” lined the edge of the road.

I wondered if they had set everything up the night before as I continued forward.

Finally, Kaminarimon — and a Sense of Achievement

At last, I arrived in front of Kaminarimon.

I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment that I almost wanted to take a photo of the police officer standing on top of a patrol car, shouting instructions.

This was a feeling only those who endured the entire line could understand.

It took 16 minutes just to pass through Kaminarimon.

If you’re planning to visit Asakusa on New Year’s Day, be prepared.

I’ve seen Kaminarimon’s lantern many times and have taken countless photos before.
But this time, swept up by the moment, I took out my phone once again and captured a photo of the iconic red lantern.

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