The enormously popular Asakusa Kannondo Temple (also known as Sensoji Temple) in Tokyo’s Asakusa district figures prominently in the traditional annual calendar of events and festivals, especially during the temple visits at the New Year which attract large crowds.
Legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.
In 1933 Koitsu began a series of twelve image titled the 'Tokyo Fukei Series' (Tokyo Views) were published in a particular order and "Asakusa Kannondo Temple" was published fifth in the series of twelve. The series was completed in November of 1935.
Publisher Doi Sadaichi planned to publish one print each month but the project ended up taking three years. This impression is from a later printing, circa 1950-63.