Kobe Mosque

Why it matters: opened in October 1935 with donations gathered by the Islamic Committee of Kobe, this is Japan’s first mosque – and it has outlasted everything thrown at it, surviving the 1945 air raids that flattened the surrounding streets and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, after which it sheltered displaced Muslim residents for around a month. Locals call it the Miracle Mosque, and it is still an active place of worship, not a monument. Czech architect Jan Josef Svagr gave it an Indo-Islamic silhouette of twin minarets and domes that sits oddly and wonderfully among Kitano’s western merchant houses; inside, the men’s prayer hall on the ground floor is white marble and gold. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times – dress modestly, cover your shoulders and knees, and call ahead if you are bringing a group.