steel-reinforced concrete structure was built with a donation of ¥150 million from Yonetarō Motoya. Since the gate was reconstructed using flame-resistant materials, the upper story of the Hōzōmon stores the Sensō-ji's treasured sutras. These treasures include a copy of the Lotus Sutra that is designated a Japanese National Treasure and the Issai-kyō, a complete collection of Buddhist scriptures that has been designated an Important Cultural Property. Features Unlike the Kaminarimon, which houses four different statues, the Hōzōmon houses two guardian statues that are located on either side of the gate's south face. These tall statues represent Niō, the guardian deities of the Buddha. Because of these statues, the gate was originally called the before it was renamed the Hōzōmon. The gate also features three large lanterns. The largest and most prominent lantern is a red chōchin that hangs under the center of the gate's opening. With a height of , a diameter of and a weight of , the lantern displays the name of the town . The current iteration of the lantern dates back to 2003 when ¥5 million was donated by the people of Kobunachō. Its donation commemorated the 400th-year-anniversary of the start of the Edo period. On either side of the chōchin hangs two tall copper tōrō weighing approximately each. All three lanterns are completely removed during festivals such as Sanja Matsuri. On the Hōzōmon's north (back) face are the waraji, two long, wide straw sandals that weigh each. Nakamise-dōri The is a street on the approach to the temple. It is said to have come about in the early 18th century, when neighbors of Sensō-ji were granted permission to set up shops on the approach to the temple. However, in May 1885 the government of Tokyo ordered all shop owners to leave. In December of that same year the area was reconstructed in Western-style brick. During the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake many of the shops were destroyed, then rebuilt in 1925 using concrete, only to be destroyed again during the bombings of World War II. The length of the street is approximately and contains around 89 shops. Gallery See also Buddhist temples in Japan Glossary of Japanese Buddhism List of Buddhist temples List of National Treasures of Japan (writings) Notes References McClain, James L., John M. Merriman, Kaoru Ugawa and Ugawa Kaoru. (1997). Edo and Paris: Urban Life and the State in the Early Modern Era.