What is the very first thing you visit in a trip to Japan? Jumping straight into the madness that is Shibuya or Harajuku jetlagged and exhausted would have given me a seizure, so I opted for a quieter approach: Asakusa, the Old Town of Tokyo where there are still some streets that haven't given way to dinosaur-embossed skyscrapers (we love you too, though, dinosaur-embossed skyscrapers). We began by visiting Senso-ji , Tokyo's biggest temple. Your arrival into the temple itself is preceded by the crossing of several massive gates, flanked by endless stands of tourist-trap shops of every kind imaginable. Then there is a big pot with incense burning inside; you're supposed to wave the smoke towards your face, so that it may cure you of any ailments. The place was absolutely packed, even though by this time a very cold wind was already building up. Still, there were very few tourists to be seen: on the outside people were just strolling along the shops, and inside people...
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