Yushima Seidō

Established in 1691 and later used as a school for the sons of the powerful during the Tokugawa regime, this is one of Tokyo’s handful of Confucian shrines. There’s a Ming-dynasty bronze statue of Confucius in its black-lacquered main hall (Taisei-den), rebuilt in 1935. The interior of Taisei-den is accessible (admission ¥200) on weekends and holidays; at other times you are free to explore the shrine grounds.