Asakusa temple

Last Sunday I visited one of Tokyo`s most popular touristic sites, Asakusa temple. And very notably a popular place to be, the are was very crowded with people that Sunday.
Asakusa used to be the old entertainment district, before Shibuya, Shinjuku or Roppongi took its place. The Asakusa Kannon (Godess of Mercy) Temple is the oldest in Tokyo, dating back as far as 645 A.D.
Before arriving at the shrine you pass a heavily crowded street with all kinds of Omiyage (souvenirs), something that is highly popular with the Japanese as well as with the growing number of Chinese visitors. A speciality are the Ningyo (doll) sweets that are freshly made by hand in front of you. It`s sort of a waffle with the typical sweet Azuki bean paste filling and it is pressed into the different animal forms or bell shapes. Makes for a delicious smell in the street.
At the temple gate, there is a very famous huge red lantern (visible on this picture). Stepping through the gate you seem to leave the bustling street you have just crossed really behind and the temple area makes for a much more serene atmosphere. Very beautiful. I`d need to learn more about the meaning of various elements in the temple though. Religion has never been my strong point, although I am interested in a theoretical way.