When we arrived in Asakusa, we hopped off the water bus and began our trek to the Senso-ji temple, home of the most visited Buddhist shrine in Tokyo. I had also heard from a friend, that Nakamise-dori street plays host to several booths and shops lining the area. She brought an adorable handbag to work made to look like denim jeans with round bamboo handles that I wanted to find. Shamefully, my pilgrimage to Asakusa had more to do with finding a purse than finding enlightenment.

We arrived at a red gate, marking the entrance to the shrine area. Two statues flanked either side of the gateway. We passed through the crowds and started down the long street that led to the actual temple. The covered marketplace featured stall after stall, chocked full of souvenirs, Yugi-oh cards, Power Rangers and clothes for dogs. The temptation to purchase doggie booties for our terrier overwhelmed me but my husband intervened and pointed me back toward our original destination.

As we neared the temple, we found a smaller shrine to the right of the street. Bright teal flags fluttered in the wind as we found ourselves moving away from the hubbub of the street market. We could smell the incense from quite a few yards away. As we walked toward the main temple, we came to a larger, impressive gateway, marking the main courtyard. To the left of the main walkway, a nondescript building turned out to be a visitor center of sorts that sold essentials for worship, such as incense and paper money.

As we entered the main courtyard, we saw a group of uniformed students basking in the smoke from an incense burner. Continuing down the path, we came to a water well, where worshipers could dip a ladle into the well and drink the blessed water. One woman enthusiastically rinsed her mouth in the well. After witnessing that, my husband cautioned that unless we did not have any reservations regarding hygiene, we should avoid doing the same.

As we climbed the steps to the shrine, the dizzying size of the structure overwhelmed me. A golden Buddha sat in the center of the shrine. One must to cross over the threshold to enter the building. Note, if one is not accustomed to the smell of incense, you may want to keep your distance. The fragrance nearly knocked me over so I retreated a few steps to observe from afar.

After visiting the Senso-ji, we ventured into some side alleys to find a souvenir for a friend. I found the handbag shop but instead of finding a bargain, I realized that the denim purses cost much more than I wanted to spend so I sadly passed them by.

It is easy to bypass traditional Japanese culture in ultra-modern Tokyo. However, for a good dose of heritage and religious observation, Asakusa delivers in abundance.

The Asakusa Kannon Temple, also known as the Kinryuzan Senso-ji Temple, forms the heart of the colorful Asakusa area of Tokyo. Asakusa is located north of central Tokyo along the Sumida River. This area continues to have the atmosphere of Shitamachi, or the "old downtown".

One usually enters Asakusa through the distinctive Kaminarimon Gate, which was reconstructed in 1960. The bright vermilion colors of the gate welcome you into the complex. This is also called the "Thunder God Gate" because of the image in the left niche. The God of Wind is on the right niche, and people walk under the large red paper lantern in the center. This leads down Nakamise-dori, a fun pedestrian avenue with family-operated shops and stalls selling stuff like rice crackers, toys, dolls, clothes, and assorted trinkets.

The main hall of Senso-ji was originally constructed in 645, and it was reconstructed in 1958 after a great effort of fundraising. This main hall is fronted by a large vat of incense, where the worshippers all stop to perform their rituals. Nearby are structures like the Five-Storied Pagoda, the Hozomon Gate, and the Nitenmon Gate (built 1618) which survived the ravages of World War II.

Senso-ji is a Buddhist temple, but it is very close to the Asakusa Shrine, which is a Shinto shrine. This is the site of the Sanja Festival in May, one of the largest annual festivals in Tokyo. Also within the complex is the secluded Denbo-in Temple, which requires special permission in order to visit.

Sensoji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon, is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Tokyo. Its foundation in 628 is based on the legend that fishermen fished a golden Bodhisattva Kannon (goddess of mercy) out of the nearby Sumida River. The image is kept in a gold plated shrine but is never shown to the public.

Approaching the shrine, the first gate is Kaminari-mon - the gate of thunder; the god of thunder is on the right and the god of wind on the left. However, more picturesque to most tourist will be the huge red paper lantern hanging in the middle of the gate. It is one of the most famous sights in Tokyo and makes for great photos in almost any weather. Rickshaws usually offer services from the gate - many speak English.

After the gate you enter Nakamise Dori - a famous shopping street leading to the temple. (See Asakusa area entry). Before reaching the temple you cross another huge gate with more big red lanterns - the Hozomon Gate. The lanterns here are donated by tradesmen, including the traders from Tsukiji Fish Market. The huge, several meters long straw sandals are from rural Yamagata - the idea is that if the guard of the temple has such enormous feet it is better to pass than to contemplate evil deeds!

You reach the main hall after passing a huge cauldron of smoking incense. For a cure, wave the smoke towards areas of your body that ache. The main hall has been rebuilt at least four times. The current temple structure dates from the 1950s and is mainly reinforced concrete. It replaced the 1651 temple, which was destroyed by air raids during the Second World War. During the war the image of Kannon and several other artworks were buried and spared from destruction. The three huge lanterns hanging from the main hall are donated by geishas from various areas in Tokyo alluding to the important role Asakusa played in Edo times as an entertainment area. (This role has long since moved elsewhere, especially to Shinjuku and Ikebukero.)

After donating some coins you can pull your fortune out of cylinder with sticks - just follow the lead of other people there. You’ll get a stick with a letter and then take the fortune out of a drawer with the same number. There are sometimes English instructions available or just ask - many visitors are keen to help foreigners to find the right slip of paper. If you don’t like your fortune you can simply nix it by tying it to a nearby tree!

The temple area is open 24 hours and admittance is free.

The most famous Buddist Temple in Tokyo is a wonderful place to visit. It was originally built in 628, but was destroyed along with the rest of Tokyo during World War II. It was rebuilt and now is one of Tokyo's main tourist attractions.

Legend says that some time ago, two fishermen retrieved a statue of the Goddess of Kannon out of the river. As they were more interested in fish, they threw it back into the river, but it continued to find its way into their nets. Taking it for an omen, they brough the statue to the city where a temple was erected around it in honor of the Goddess.

The temple has a very impressive gate: Kaminarimon next to which there is a set of tremendously large sandals: a sign to evil spirits to stay away (apparently evil spirits should think a giant guards the temple). It is located in the Asakusa district. Nakamise street, Tokyo's largest concentration of souvenir shops, leads to the temple. During April the souvenir shops are all adorned with sakura: cherry blossoms.

The Senso-ji, together with Tokyo's other important religious landmark, Shinto's Meiji Jingu: Meiji Shrine, is included in most bus tours around the city. Just inquire at your hotel.

Senso-Ji temple is a massive Buddhist temple dedicated to the goddest of mercy. Leading from the street to the temple is a long, cachaphonous row of shops along Nakamise-dori selling everything from minature Japanese dolls to shoes and crackers which are the speciality of the area. The people watching and unique shopping make the walk to the temple as interesting as the temple itself. You can find out about your future by purchasing little fortunes from the vendors outside the temples. People light incense and rub the smoke into their bodies for good luck.