A couple stood in front of an incense burner in the middle of the crowd

Couple profiled by smoke — Couple floating in smoke

Senso-ji temple was bustling with the usual bustle. Tourists from abroad were conspicuous, and the crowd was somewhat international in its bustle. The approach leading to the main hall was filled with worshippers, creating a never-ending stream of visitors. Smoke was rising silently from the incense burner located in the center of the hall. Incense sticks were poured in one after another, and the flames mysteriously showed no sign of abating. It seemed to symbolize that the prayers of the people gathered here continue uninterrupted.

Before heading to the main hall, visitors stopped in front of the incense burner. As I watched, I noticed a couple. They were standing in front of the censer and seemed to be exchanging a few small words. Their silhouettes stood out in the rising smoke. The figures were part of reality, yet they left a dreamlike, phantasmagoric impression.

Did the smoke carry something invisible, like a prayer? Or perhaps this place itself is a special space that blurs the boundaries of time and people. I even had the feeling that no one really knew where the path leading to the main hall really led.

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