Japan Itinerary: Exploring Asakusa

Asakusa is one of Tokyo's districts where traces of Old Japan is very much alive.

The district can be easily toured by riding a rickshaw (shown in the photo above), a light vehicle pulled by a person. This mode of transporation originated in Japan and is their local version of the kalesa. The cost of riding a rickshaw is pretty steep- between 7000 to 9000 Yen, which I guess depends on the season. The price is more expensive than a ticket to Tokyo Disneyland or Disney Sea.

The most popular tourist attraction in the district is the Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest temple which was completed in 645. However, the current structure is just a reconstruction. Much like any tourist attraction in Japan, the place is easily accessible via train. It's just a few meters away from the Asakusa Station. 

March 21, the day of our visit to the temple, was the spring equinox, a holiday in Japan. Hence, the place was jam-packed with tourists. But perhaps the constant movement and incessant bustle added up to the temple's vibrance. Of course, it would have been better if the place was calm and quiet since the essence of visiting a temple is to find inner peace.

The Nakamise Dori serves as the entryway to the temple. It is bounded by the Kaminarimon Gate, the main entrance to Nakamise Dori, and the Hozomon Gate, the entrance to Sensoji Temple itself.

Prior to visiting the temple and in order to see the tourist attractions with a different perspective and less crowd, we dropped by the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, right across the Kaminarimon Gate. 

The building is hard to miss due to its architectural design that stands out in the neighborhood. This is where you should first stop over if you need help with your Tokyo Tour. We didn't avail their tourist guidance since we already had our itinerary planned and we wouldn't stay in Tokyo for too long, plus we had friends around that helped us along the way. The tourist center would be of great help if you plan to spend your entire Japan vacation in Tokyo, or intend to stay in Tokyo for at least a week. The staff can speak English and services are offered for free including going up the building's roof deck, which a lot of travel blogs highly recommend. 

Going up the roof deck before heading to the temple was a great decision. 

The place was not crowded and the views from the top are spectacular. 

On one side is the old neighborhood of Asakusa, with a good bird's eye view of the Senso-ji Temple.

On the other side, is the modern district of Sumida, with a picturesque view of famous architectural wonders: Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Beer Building.

Too bad that the angle was incorrect and I was tall enough to block the golden flame/ "golden turd" of the Asahi Beer Building, which really fascinates me.

After taking enough photos, we didn't stay longer at the tourist center. If your timing is right, you can enjoy a free exhibit in the building and if you have plenty of time to stay in Tokyo, perhaps you should also try the restaurant and cafe in the building.

Finally, we went on and explored the temple after being previously discouraged by the huge crowd.

It's hard to take a good photo at the Kaminarimon Gate since this is where tourists flock and take selfies and groupfies. But it's a famous landmark, so you should take a photo no matter what.

Going along with the crowd, it felt like we were marching towards something important.

The Nakamise Dori is not just a street leading to the Sensoji Temple. The place itself is a historical landmark. It is one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan. Lined with stores on both sides, it is a great venue for buying authentic Japanese souvenirs. 

Since we planned to go shopping on our last day of stay in Japan, we didn't drop by the stalls. Looking back, I regret not buying anything.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the place is also quite an attraction at night when the stores finally close down their canvas shutters. Each canvas is painted according to the season.

If you have plenty of time, you should also consider dropping by at night.

The main hall and the Nakamise Dori are the main attractions but actually there's a lot more to explore in Sensoji.

Sensoji is not just limited to these areas. It is actually a complex comprised of multiple halls, wide open spaces, shrines and a five-storied pagoda, which is a marvelous work of art.

It's worth the time to spend half a day at Sensoji in a slow-paced manner and just appreciate Japanese culture and architecture.

More photos of our day in Tokyo here.