Tennoji Temple just next to Nippori Station on the Yamanote line has a significant cultural history. Founded in 1274, it has had its ups and downs, including being closed for heresy (1690s) and having its five-storey pagoda burned down in a lover’s suicide pact (1957)! It is now a key temple on the Seven Gods of Fortune Pilgrimage, so has retained its importance. If all that wasn’t interesting enough, it was the only temple in Tokyo allowed to conduct lotteries between 1728 and 1842 – I’d imagine that that cemented its reputation and popularity. When you enter the beautifully landscaped gardens you are met by a large bronze Buddha statue dating from 1690, and right across the road is the cemetery which contains 7,000 graves. The two sites are certainly absorbing before you head on down to the Yanaka shopping street.