Senso-ji

Founded in 645, Senso-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple and its most visited, a riot of red lanterns, incense smoke and old-Tokyo energy in the Asakusa district. Most people arrive midday and shuffle through shoulder to shoulder; come at dawn and you can walk the whole approach almost alone.

• Kaminarimon, the giant “Thunder Gate” and its 700kg lantern, the classic photo.
• Nakamise-dori, the 250m approach lined with snack and souvenir stalls (try a fresh ningyo-yaki).
• The main hall & five-story pagoda, draw an omikuji fortune; tie up the bad ones and keep the good.
• Asakusa backstreets, old shops, tempura institutions and the river a short walk away.

Be at Kaminarimon by 7am, the grounds are open 24/7 even when the hall opens at 6. By 9am the tour groups arrive. Evenings are a quieter second-best, when the gate and pagoda are beautifully lit.

Asakusa Station (Ginza, Asakusa and Tobu lines) is a two-minute walk. It pairs naturally with Tokyo Skytree across the river and a Sumida cruise.