Senso-ji Temple

The Asakusa district is a piece of traditional Tokyo, since most of the city was destroyed during earthquakes or WWII. The Senso-ji Temple, popularly known as Asakusa Kannon, is Tokyo's most sacred temple and the heart of this neighborhood.

A shrine at this site existed as early as 628, when two fishermen fished out a small gold statue of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy) from the Sumida River. Their master built a shrine to Kannon, which grew in fame, wealth and size - by 1657 it was at the center of a bustling neighborhood. The temple survived a major earthquake in 1923, but was destroyed during a WWII bombing. These buildings are therefore relatively new, but are faithful to the Edo-era layout.

The Kaminarimon Gate, or Thunder Gate, burned down in 1865 and was rebuilt in 1960. The gate, along with the huge lantern, are a popular image of Tokyo.

When you pass the gate you enter a street 0f traditional wares and souvenirs, leading the way to the main temple. We were there on a Monday and it was super packed, so I can't imagine what it's like on a weekend.

The entire area is full of charming little streets that give the neighborhood and old town feel (something that is rare in Tokyo).
A garden with statues donated by a wealthy Edo merchant. The orange tree is full of fruit, which seems odd in February.
The main hall and Five-Story Pagoda (this replica of the original was built in 1973).
This gold plated main shrine houses the original Kannon image, whatever that means.
In the background you can see the incense burner (joukoro). People are constantly wafting its smoke over them to stay healthy. I didn't know any of this when I was there, so I didn't do any wafting - but I did walk over to it and sniff it, so I hope that counts.
The main hall from the side...

Afterwards we had dinner in this amazing old wooden house.

The interior was also very old and traditional, and we sat on the floor and cooked our own food on a teppan (hotplate) in the middle of our table. "Sitting on the floor and cooking our own food" doesn't sound like such a good deal for a restaurant, but it was a lot of fun and really tasty too.

Nearby Kappabashi street specializes in kitchen utensils and restaurant supplies, with many stores overflowing onto the sidewalks.

You can buy the super realistic plastic versions of typical Japanese foods that are typically displayed outside restaurants instead of a menu. They look even more than delicious than the real thing, but eating one would be a huge mistake since they are plastic (and super expensive too).