The BuddhistAsakusaKannon Temple (Senso-ji) is Tokyo's most sacred and impressive temple, a privilege normally reserved for Shinto shrines. It is believed that in AD628 two fishermen found a gold statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, in their nets from the Sumida River. They showed their master who built a shrine after all three of them dreamt that the deity told them to build one. In 645 the holy man Shokai built a temple in her honor, which was restructured many times until its final shape in the early 17th century. Tokugawa Ieyasu bestowed upon it a sizeable plot of land and its fame and wealth grew. The temple survived the 1923 earthquake but was completely demolished during WWII. The main buildings, therefore, are relatively new but it is unnoticeable against the sea of people who flock here to pray. The paintings on the ceilings of the main hall are originals from pre-war time.