Senso-ji Temple (Kinryuzan Senso-ji)

Tokyo’s most revered temple, the Senso-ji Temple, was founded in AD 628 to enshrine a gold statuette of the Kannon Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy) which, according to legend, was found by two local fishermen. Also known as Asakusa Kannon in Japan, the temple and its five-storey pagoda may today be a post-war concrete reconstruction, but nonetheless its precincts are always bustling with worshippers. A huge incense burner at the front of the temple is said to have healing powers. The Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) is one of Tokyo’s most recognised sites and is famous for its enormous red paper lantern and guardian statues. There are also many Shinto shrines within the temple’s grounds.
Air: New Tokyo Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport (domestic flights). Rail: Train: Tokyo Station. Underground: Asakusa. Road: Bus: Public services. Car: Tomei-Meishin Expressway (from Kobe); Chuo Expressway (from Nagano and Nagoya).