Asakusa Jinja(浅草神社)

The shrine enshrines three real people: two fishermen brothers who found a Kannon statue in their nets in 628 AD, and the landlord who taught them about Buddhism—they're the founders of Asakusa itself.

The shrine's social hall is built in 'gongen-zukuri' style like Nikko's Tosho-gu, and miraculously survived WWII bombings and the Great Kanto Earthquake—it's been standing since 1649, a gift from Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

There's a stone monument dedicated to Ryotsu Kankichi, the main character from the manga 'Kochikame,' making this historic shrine an unexpected pilgrimage site for anime and manga fans.

Despite being in the heart of tourist-packed Asakusa, the shrine has a concrete torii gate—an unusual material choice that sets it apart from typical vermillion wooden gates at most shrines.