Senso-ji

Senso-ji is Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple and the centre of Asakusa, the district that keeps more of the feel of the old merchant city than anywhere else in the capital. The temple's own account dates its story to 18 March 628, when a small statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, was pulled from the Sumida River. A hall was built for it soon after, and the statue has been kept as a hidden image ever since: it is never shown to the public.

Most visitors arrive through the Kaminarimon, the main gate with its huge red paper lantern and statues of Fujin and Raijin, the gods of wind and thunder. The present gate dates from 1960. Beyond it, the Nakamise shopping street runs north to the Hozomon gate, with small shops selling rice crackers, sweet bean cakes, fans, folding screens and souvenirs. The main hall, rebuilt in 1958 after wartime bombing, and the five-storey pagoda, rebuilt in 1973, stand on the far side. In front of the hall, people waft smoke from the large incense burner over themselves and draw paper fortunes from the stalls nearby.

The outer grounds are open at all hours and entry is free. The main hall opens at 6:00 (6:30 from October to March) and closes at 17:00. Early morning is the calmest time, before the shops open and the tour groups arrive, and the gates and pagoda are lit up after dark, which makes an evening visit worthwhile too. The first week of January brings huge crowds for hatsumode, the New Year visit, and other busy dates include Setsubun in early February and the summer Shiman-rokusen-nichi on 9 and 10 July.

It suits everyone, from first-time visitors to families with children, and an hour or two is enough for the temple and Nakamise. Be respectful around the main hall, where people are praying, and avoid blocking the approach for photos. Asakusa Shrine, which stages the big Sanja Matsuri festival each May, stands right beside the main hall, and the side streets around the temple are good for traditional sweets and lunch.

Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, the Toei Asakusa Line and the Tobu Skytree Line is a few minutes' walk from the Kaminarimon. From the riverbank nearby you can see Tokyo Skytree across the Sumida River, catch a water bus downstream towards Hama-rikyu, or walk west to the kitchenware shops of Kappabashi.