Founded in the 7C and dedicated to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, the Buddhist temple of Senso-ji was toppled by the bombings of the Second World War. This reconstruction, identical to its 17C appearance, with its pagoda and Shinto shrine, provides a glimpse into age-old religious customs: the washing of hands before prayer and the rituals surrounding the incense burners shaped like large Catherine wheels. Believers offer up an ex-voto and feverishly tear open little notes that announce either good or bad fortune.