Sensoji Temple – The Heart of Asakusa
Sensoji Temple in Asakusa is the oldest and most famous temple in Tokyo with a history going back 1,400 years. This temple is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, and it is incredibly popular with millions of people visiting every year. Read more
Kaminarimon – Asakusa’s Thunder Gate
The Kaminarimon Gate with its giant red lantern is Asakusa’s most famous landmark and meeting spot, and you will find its image on countless local sightseeing brochures and souvenirs. Tourists from all over the world come to have their picture taken in front of this dramatic lantern. Read more
Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is not just a valuable source of sightseeing advice, but one of Asakusa’s newest sightseeing attractions. Read more
Nakamise Shopping Street
Nakamise is the most famous shopping street in Asakusa. The street runs for 250 meters on the main approach to Sensoji Temple and is lined on both sides with shops selling traditional souvenirs, snacks, and sweets. Read more
Asakusa Jinja Shrine
Asakusa Jinja Shrine, is a shrine of the native Japanese Shinto religion, which is located very close to the famous Buddhist temple of Sensoji. The shrine is much smaller than its grand neighbor, and compared with the bustling crowds at Sensoji, the shrine’s grounds are much more peaceful. The shrine buildings are also some of the oldest in Tokyo, and are beautifully decorated. Read more
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting tower and a major sightseeing attraction in Tokyo. The tower’s soaring white structure is clearly visible from many parts of the city, and is an essential stop on any Tokyo trip.
The tower opened to the public in 2012 and is now one of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks. Tokyo Skytree includes a range of facilities for visitors, which include observation decks, souvenir shops, two cafes and a restaurant. The tower is also the focal point of the Tokyo Skytree Town commercial development. This includes the Tokyo Solamachi mixed-use complex which stands on either side of the tower and provides a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities. Read more
Denboin Street
Denboin Street (also called Denboin-dori) is a quaint, old-fashioned shopping street that runs from the west side of Nakamise Street for about 200 meters. Denboin Street is very well preserved, with many traditional shop buildings dating date back a hundred years or more. This is a great location for finding some unique souvenirs while enjoying the atmosphere of old Edo (the old name for Tokyo). Many of the shops here have been in the same family for generations, and sell hand-crafted goods, foods, and accessories that you can only buy in Asakusa. Read more
Asakusa Hanayashiki Amusement Park
Hanayashiki is the oldest amusement park in Japan and dates back to 1853 when it first opened as a botanical garden. The name “Hanayashiki” actually means “public flower garden” and there is still a small garden area with a pond and ornamental bridge on the grounds. Today however the park operates mainly as an old-fashioned fairground and boasts Japan’s oldest working roller coaster which has been running since 1953. Read more
Taikokan Drum Museum
Taikokan Drum Museum is a traditional drum museum in Asakusa that first opened in 1988, and is the world’s first museum dedicated to the subject of drums. Read more
Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center
Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center is an exhibition space, gallery and gift shop in Asakusa which is completely free to enter. The Center showcases the very best traditional hand-crafted goods of Tokyo’s Taito ward, and regularly displays around 250 items from around 48 different craft industries. Read more
Sumida Park
Sumida Park is a large green space in the Asakusa area with attractive natural scenery, riverside strolling paths, and a variety of public facilities. This park is an enjoyable place to take a break or have a picnic and if you feel like you need to escape from busy city life or simply breathe some fresh air, this is the place to come. Read more
Matsuchiyama Shoden Honryuin – A Temple of Daikon Radishes
Honryuin Temple is an ancient temple in Asakusa which is located on top of a small hill overlooking the Sumida River. This is a sub-temple of Sensoji Temple which is located to the south. Although Honryuin is a very charming location, it is not as well-known as Sensoji, so it is a nice, peaceful spot to escape the tourist crowds. Like Sensoji, the story of Honryuin’s origins includes a number of mysterious and supernatural events. Read more
Imado Jinja – The Matchmaking Shrine of Lucky Cats
Imado Jinja is a Shinto shrine in the Imado area of Asakusa. Originally dedicated to the god of war, this shrine is now associated with good relationships. In recent years it has also become popular because of its association with “maneki neko” lucky ceramic cats. Read more
Ushijima Jinja Shrine
Ushijima Jinja is a shrine of the Shinto religion which is located inside Sumida Park on the east bank of the Sumida River. The name of the shrine “Ushijima” literally means “cow island”. There are many statues of cows around the shrine, and this shrine also has a pair of guardian koma-ushi cow statues in front of the main building instead of the usual pair of koma-inu or lion-dogs. Read more
Chingodo Shrine
Chingodo is a small Shinto shrine on Denboin Street which is unusual in that it is dedicated to a furry little animal called the “tanuki”. For this reason, Chingodo also has the nickname “Otanuki-sama” which basically means “Honorable Mr. Tanuki”. This is a peaceful little shrine with a rather charming history. Read more
Denboin Residence & Garden
Surprisingly few people who visit Asakusa are aware that just to the west of the bustling street market of Nakamise there is a large, tranquil garden with beautiful scenery called Denboin Teien. This garden is an island of calm in the middle of Asakusa, and as it is usually only open to the public once a year, viewing it is a very rare and special experience indeed. Read more
Asahi Beer Tower, Asahi Beer Hall, Asahi Annex, and the Asahi Flame
One of Tokyo’s most famous skyline views can be seen from Asakusa. Standing on the banks of the Sumida River and looking east across Azumabashi Bridge you will notice that three buildings in particular stand out. One of these is Tokyo Skytree, which you cannot fail to notice simply because it is the tallest structure in Tokyo. But alongside that, you will also see a tall golden building, and beside it a smaller, squatter black building which acts as a pedestal for a gigantic golden squiggle. Read more
Asakusa Engei Hall
Asakusa Engei Hall is one of only four traditional yose comedy theaters in Tokyo. These theaters are mainly dedicated to the art of rakugo, a type of comedic storytelling. The Asakusa Engeii Hall theater is a survivor from a time when Asakusa was a major entertainment district full of playhouses and movie theaters. Read more
Kofukuji Temple
Kofukuji Temple is a Buddhist temple on the east side of the Sumida River. This temple belongs to the Obaku Zen school of Buddhism, which is one of the three main schools of Zen in Japan. Read more
Sumida Heritage Museum
Sumida Heritage Museum is a museum dedicated to local history in the downtown Mukojima area which is located close to Sumida Park. This museum has no English information available at all. However, it is very cheap to enter at only 100 yen, and some of the displays can be enjoyed visually without any English guidance. This is quite a small museum, but is worth a look if you happen to be in the area. Read more
Mimeguri Jinja Shrine
Mimeguri Jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the east side of the Sumida River. This is a small shrine, but because it is located about midway between Ushijima Jinja Shrine and Kofukuji Temple it is easily visited when walking between those two locations. Mimeguri Jinja is dedicated to the god Uganomitama who is a god of food and rice. Read more
Statue of Katsu Kaishu – The Man Who Saved Tokyo
If you walk the short distance between Asahi Beer Hall and Sumida Park on the east side of the Sumida River you will see a large bronze statue of a handsome young samurai with one hand pointing ahead. This statue is a tribute to Katsu Kaishu, a great 19th century statesman and peacemaker, who is remembered as the founder of Japan’s modern navy, and as the man who saved Tokyo from destruction in a civil war. Read more
