The 9 Best Things To Do In Asakusa, Tokyo

Welcome to Asakusa, the most traditional neighborhood in Tokyo! Asakusa is one of the many areas of Tokyo that we visited during our trip to Japan. In this blog post, I will share the 9 best things to do in Asakusa, hoping to convince you to include it in your itinerary.

The neighborhood of Asakusa is one of the most traditional neighborhoods in Tokyo. However, this doesn’t mean everything is old here, on the contrary, here you will find a great contrast between traditional and modern. Are you ready, then let’s dive in to all Asakusa has to offer!

ASAKUSA

Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s most visited districts due to Sensoji temple, a very popular Buddhist temple, being located here.

In its origins, the neighborhood of Asakusa was one of Tokyo’s leading entertainment districts. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Asakusa hosted many Kabuki theaters, and later, at the beginning of the 20th Century, cinemas. However, the neighborhood was heavily destroyed in 1945 by the bombings during World War II. The neighborhood was rebuilt after the war, but today, Shinjuku and other areas of Tokyo are considered entertainment zones.

Photo by Christian Ladewig in Unsplash

THE 9 BEST THINGS TO DO IN ASAKUSA

Asakusa’s most famous site is Senso-ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo, but there is much more to do in Asakusa than Senso-ji. So let’s get on with the list!

1. Senso-ji Temple

Senso-ji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, is one of Tokyo’s most popular Buddhist temples. It is also, one of its oldest temples. It was founded in the year 628 but the building that you visit today was reconstructed in 1958 after World War II.

The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kannon. According to the legend, in 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River. They put the statue back in the river but it kept returning to them so consequently, they decided to build a temple nearby dedicated to this goddess.

Within the temple complex, here are the main places you simply can’t miss.

Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate): This is the outer gate to the temple and it is famous for its huge red lantern hanging in the middle. The lantern is 3,3 meters high and weighs approximately 100 kg.

Nakamise Dori: Nakamise is a shopping street approximately 250 meters long that leads to Senso-ji temple. Here you will be able to buy souvenirs, food and snacks, and traditional Japanese articles.
Hozomon Gate: Hozomon Gate is the second or inner gate of the temple that gives access to the Main Hall and the Five-Story Pagoda.

5-Story Pagoda: The impressive and colorful 5-story pagoda in Senso-ji is surely one of the highlights of this temple. It is 53 meters high, which is equivalent to an 18-story building.
Main Hall: Of course, you must visit the temple’s Main Hall. The main hall is only open for prayer between 6:00 and 17:00.

Practical information about Senso-ji:

The temple complex is open all day long but the main hall and shops are only open between 6:00 and 17:00.
The entrance to the temple is free.
If you want to enjoy the temple with not many people around you, I suggest you visit it early in the morning or late afternoon. We were there around 10 am and it was so full of people that we were a bit disappointed and didn’t enjoy the experience.

2. Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center

Do you enjoy panoramic viewpoints? Then you have to visit the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. The building was built in 2012 and it offers an observation deck and cafe with amazing views of Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street, and Tokyo Skytree.

Practical information: It is open between 9:00 and 20:00 and it is free to visit.

3. Hoppy Street

Hoppy Street or Hoppy Dori is a narrow street not far from Sensoji Temple full of izakaya taverns, where you can enjoy some delicious food and drinks. It is named after the Hoppy drink, a cheap beverage with a similar taste to beer but very low alcohol content (only around 0.8%).

This is the perfect place to get some food and enjoy a nice atmosphere after your visit to Senso-ji Temple. Especially on days with good weather, since most of them have little terraces on the street.

4. Shin-Nakamise Shopping Street

Shin-Nakamise, perpendicular to Nakamise Dori, is a covered shopping street or “shotengai”. It is full of all kinds of stores and restaurants. These covered shopping streets are very popular all over Japan and you will be able to find them in many cities around the country.

5. Asakusa Pier

From Asakusa Pier, next to Azuma Bridge, you will get fantastic views of Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Beer Tower. This was actually my favorite place to enjoy the views of Tokyo Skytree.

In addition, from this pier, you can also get one of the cruises that sail along the Sumida River until Odaiba island. Enjoy Tokyo from the water to get a different view of the city!

Tokyo Cruise from Asakusa to Odaiba island

6. Sumida Park

While you’re at Asakusa Pier, you can keep walking north along the Sumida River to enjoy the peace and beauty of Sumida Park. This park is particularly popular in spring to enjoy the bloom of the cherry blossoms or during the Obon festival in the summer, where you get really good views of the fireworks.

7. Asahi Beer Tower and Asahi Beer Hall

Right across the river and in front of the Asakusa Pier, you can find the famous Asahi Beer Tower and Asahi Beer Hall. The tall golden tower is the Asahi Beer Tower and it is supposed to resemble a well-poured glass of beer with the white panels on top representing the foam. The shorter building next to it is the Asahi Beer Hall, with the golden Asahi Flame on top of it (Flame d’or). Although many people think it looks like something else other than a flame… What do you think it looks like?

If you’re a beer lover and want to enjoy a glass of beer, you can certainly have one here.

8. Tokyo Skytree

The Tokyo Skytree is the highest communications tower in the world with 634 meters high. Its construction finished in 2012 and it has two different observation decks: Tembo Deck at 350 meters and Galleria Deck at 450 meters. From these observation decks, you will get amazing views of Tokyo and on clear days, you can even see Mount Fuji!

Practical information about Tokyo Skytree:

It is open daily (except for days with bad weather conditions) between 9:00 and 21:00 with the last entry to Tembo Deck at 20:00 and to Galleria Deck at 20:20.

For updated information about prices for one or both decks, always check the official Tokyo Skytree Website, where you can also buy your tickets.
Since the Tokyo Skytree is a bit far from the main tourist attractions, reaching it can be a bit tiring. Get your guide, offers the tickets to the Skytree with a private pick-up at your hotel (within Tokyo city).

9. Kappabashi Street

Kappabashi Street is heaven on earth for kitchen and cooking lovers. If you like kitchen utensils and tableware you have to stop by Kappabashi street! This is a 1km long street where you will be able to find many shops selling everything you might think of: dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils, and much more!

I could have bought the whole street! In the end, after much self-control, we just bought some beautiful chopsticks and chopstick holders in the shape of an origami bird.

In addition, from one of its side streets, you will get again amazing views of the Tokyo Skytree.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO VISIT ASAKUSA?

Well, this will depend on how much time you spend shopping. If you like entering each shop that you see and taking your time seeing what they sell, then you will need almost a day to visit Asakusa. However, if you just want to get a general idea of the shopping areas and focus on visiting, I think half a day is enough for this.

We spent more or less 4 hours in this area, but we didn’t go up to Tokyo Skytree and only focused on shopping at Kappabashi Street.

HOW TO GET TO ASAKUSA?

The easiest way to get to Asakusa is to use the Tokyo subway until the stop with the same name. Asakusa Subway Station is served by the Ginza Subway Line and Asakusa Subway Line.

Another option (if you’re coming from Odaiba island) is to take the Tokyo water bus that will leave you at the Asakusa Pier.

WHERE TO SLEEP IN ASAKUSA?

In Asakusa, you will be able to find a lot of lodging options for all kinds of tastes and budgets. Until 2023, many tourists opted not to sleep near Asakusa because it is not located near a JR train station. However, now that the JR Pass price has increased, it is actually a quite good area to stay in.

Here are some well-rated options in Booking that I would consider:

MAP WITH ALL LOCATIONS

And that’s it for my blog about the best 9 things to do in Asakusa. I hope you liked it and found it useful. Let me know what you think in the comments!

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