Established in 1705, it is one of the oldest places of worship in the city, and several of the buildings on the shrine grounds have been designated as Important Cultural Property.

[5] According to the legend, the Nezu shrine was founded in Sendagi, just north of the current location, in the 1st century by Yamato Takeru (also known as Prince Ōsu), the son of Emperor Keikō.

The two main entrances are marked by big red torii in the myōjin style, very common in Shinto architecture, characterized by curved upper lintels.

One of the most famous[17][18] features of the shrine is the path of vermilion torii through the hillside left of the main hall.

A two-storied rōmon (楼門, tower gate) is a type of mon characterized by an inaccessible upper floor.

[24] A karamon (唐門, "chinese gate") is a type of mon found in Japanese castles, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

[25] A similar combination of karamon and Sukibei can be seen at the Ueno Tōshō-gū,[26] another Edo period Shinto shrine in Tokyo closely associated to the Tokugawa shogunate.