Zenpukuji

One of the oldest temples in Tokyo, this Azabu foundation dates to the ninth century and became an important center of Pure Land Buddhism. It served briefly as the first American legation in Japan after the country's opening in the mid-nineteenth century, an episode marked by a monument on the grounds. A giant ginkgo tree, said to be many centuries old and a designated natural treasure, dominates the precinct with its immense trunk. The quiet temple offers a layered slice of history amid the embassies and towers of Azabu.