Asakusa Shrine - and Shopping

We headed out for Asakusa the next day, ready for some typical shopping in Japan for the girls. The shrine is flanked by streets of vendors in small stalls, all ready and willing to sell their wares to the tourists – and there and thousands of tourists filing by on this tiny street. The sakura was out, making it a festive occasion for both Japanese and gaijin. The shrine is approached through the Kaminarimon gate. This gate is guarded by two Kami – great carved gods with hideous faces designed to scare the intruders. The long walkway up to the temple’s second gate is where the many shops are located. They do have a wonderful collection of inexpensive souvenirs as well as some pretty nice quality Japanese arts, pottery, metal work and such. If not for the crowds, I could happily spend quite a while checking out some of the fabulous crafts.
Didn't get pictures of the shops but did find great shots of sakura. If you click on the title of this entry, it will take you to a website with pictures of some shops...and more information.
The vendor was interesting. He was selling some kind of food. He would pick up the "stand" and carry it around. When someone asked for food, he'd stop, set it down and sell to the person. When the sales dropped in that area, he'd pick it up again and move on.