4 Best Sights in Beyond Central Tokyo, Tokyo

In 1701, a young provincial baron named Asano Takumi-no-Kami attacked and seriously wounded a royal attendant named Yoshinaka Kira. Asano, for daring to draw his sword in the confines of Edo Castle, was ordered to commit suicide, resulting in his family line being abolished and his estate being confiscated. Forty-seven of Asano's loyal retainers vowed revenge; the death of their leader made them ronin—masterless samurai. On the night of December 14, 1702, Asano's ronin stormed Kira's villa in Edo, cut off his head, and brought it in triumph to Asano's tomb at Sengaku-ji, the family temple, which dates to 1642. The ronin were sentenced to commit suicide—which they accepted as the reward, not the price, of their honorable vendetta—and were buried in the temple graveyard with their lord.

Through the centuries, this story—known in Japanese as Chushingura—has become the last word on the subject of loyalty and sacrifice, celebrated in every medium from kabuki to film. The temple still stands, and the graveyard is wreathed in smoke from the bundles of incense that visitors reverently lay on the tombstones. There is a collection of weapons and other memorabilia from the event in the temple's small museum. One of the items derives from Kira's family's desire to give him a proper burial. The law insisted this could not be done without his head, so they asked for it back. It was entrusted to the temple, and the priests wrote a receipt, which survives even now in the corner of a dusty glass case. "Item," it begins, "One head." 

Established around AD 830, Kita-in has long been an important temple in what was once known as the Kawagoe Domain. Not only is its graveyard the resting place of feudal lords, but it has also accumulated a number of notable features. Several buildings were moved here from Edo Castle in the 1600s, as were 500 rakan (a Buddhist term referring to one who has attained enlightenment) statues, which were carved between the 1780s and 1820s and which display a range of emotions—from suffering to sheer delight. There's also a 17th-century shrine, as well as several gardens planted with azaleas, hydrangeas, and plum, cherry, and maple trees that all contribute to the seasonal beauty of the grounds.

One of the Kanto region's oldest temples was founded in the AD 900s to hold a statue of the Buddhist deity Fudo Myoo that was, according to legend, carved by Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. That statue alone—still visible in the vast main hall—marks Naritasan out as special to many Japanese, but it also has two impressive pagodas and a spacious wooded park to explore. The oldest extant building was constructed in 1655; other structures have been rebuilt numerous times since then. From JR Narita or Keisei Narita train station, you can reach the temple via Naritasan Omotesando, an 800-meter-long (½-mile) avenue lined with souvenir stores and an eclectic mix of restaurants, some of which serve unagi (freshwater eel), a local specialty.

Established in 1629, this temple was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, so its current incarnation dates from 1929. You enter through a towering wooden gateway that connects to Taishakuten Sando, Shibamata's main shopping street. Although admission to the grounds is free, it's worth paying the additional fee to enter the inner sanctuary, adorned with carvings of the life and teachings of Buddha, and the temple garden.