This temple was founded by the Buddhist monk Kōbō Daishi in the year 824, the first year of the Tencho era of the Heian period. Shinran, a monk designated bodhisattva, visited this temple in the Kamakura period. The priest Ryoukai who received him had such esteem for Shinran's virtue that he converted the entire temple complex to Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land School) Buddhism. During the Bakufu (the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate), the first American envoy, Townsend Harris, was received here. This temple, where the bonds of Japanese-American friendship were deepened, was also frequently visited by such eminent figures as Yukichi Fukuzawa and Masuda Takashi, who built the foundation of modern Japan. On the temple grounds, the "Ginkgo Tree at Zenpukuji" has been designated as a protected natural monument, it is over 750 years old.

One of the ten shrines of Tokyo. Founded in 951 (Tenryaku 5), the current shrine was built in 1729 (Kyoho 14), on the orders of the 8th Tokugawa shogun of the Edo era, Yoshimune. Since then it miraculously escaped being damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake and is designated as a Tokyo cultural property that exists as it did during its original construction. The grounds include great numbers of Edo era sights, from natural monuments to torii gates, stone lion-dog guardians, hanging lanterns and more. It is well known as a marriage shrine, with many weddings held there.

According to the shrine's history, it is one of several ancient shrines in the city used to house the divided spirits (bunrei) of the Ise Shrine during the middle of the Heian Period. It got its name of Shiba-daijingu starting from the Meiji Period, before which it was called by other names including Iikura-shinmeigu and Shiba-shinmeigu. The name of Shiba-shinmeigu is known for the famous "Megumi Fight" that took place in March 1805 inside the shrine, where Kanjin-sumo wrestlers such as Yotsuguruma Daihachi and Mizuhiki Seigorou fought with the Megumi-no-tobi, a group of firefighters who considered the area their territory. Even back then, the Minato ward lying in front of the shrine's gates was a lively business district. During the Edo Period, the shrine was a thriving venue for entertainment such as sumo matches and theatrical performances, which were allowed in the shrine grounds. The theater was a type of Edo-sannomiya theater, and is said to have been first held inside Shiba-shinmei in 1645. In September of every year, the "Daradara Festival", an event supposedly named due to its long duration (daradara means lengthy), is held, during which ginger is widely sold inside the shrine and its vicinity, giving the shrine its nickname as the "Ginger Market". As famous as the "Betterazuke market" of Kodenma-cho, the festival was such an enjoyable event for Edo commoners that it was even depicted in ukiyo-e art. During the festival, ginger, chigibako, and amazake are sold. Chigibakos are oval boxes made of cypress, said to bring additional clothing when put into a cabinet, a good luck charm of sorts, whose name comes from the idea of a thousand pieces of wood (chigi) leading to a thousand pieces of clothing (chigi). Beneath the stairway is a savings mound built to commemorate Makino Motojirou's achievements in establishing the Real-estate and Savings Bank (Fudo-chokin-ginkou).

The Main Temple of Jodo Buddhism. On par with the Kan'ei-ji in Ueno and home to the mausoleum of the Tokugawa Shoguns, it is the resting place of 6 of the warlords, Princess Kazu (Lady Seikan'in-no-miya), and the mothers of the shoguns.

In the 17th year of Keicho, the famous Soto temple was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. There are tombs of the Asano family and the graves of 47 Ako Yoshishi, and there are also things related to Ako Yoshishi, such as the "main tax plum". The Yoshishi Festival, which takes place on December 14, the day of the death, is a year-end tradition that attracts many worshippers from all over the country. On April 1~7, the Spring Gishi Festival will also be held.