Asakusa is a popular tourism spot in Tokyo that is listed as a must-go in every tourist handbook and website I have seen. I will give you my opinion as a local on what it’s really like to visit Asakusa.
What it’s like in Asakusa
Who will enjoy Asakusa?
- First timers in Japan who wish to experience the old Japan vibes in down-town Tokyo.
- Tourists looking for traditional Japanese souvenirs
- Those who enjoy traditional Japanese comedy (Manzai, Rakugo)
- Local food fanatics
- Tourists wanting to dress up in Kimono wear
If you are a first timer in Japan or Tokyo, Asakusa is definitely a place you should check out at least once during your visit.
How long will I need to enjoy Asakusa?
Even if you intend to explore Asakusa in depth, you will generally only need half a day max.
If you are planning for a quick stroll through the main areas of Asakusa and do some light shopping along the way, 2-3 hours should be enough
The Basic Tour
I see that tourists from overseas and tourists from other regions in Japan have different preferences when it comes to touring Asakusa. But at the very least you should have the following areas covered so that you can safely say you have experienced Asakusa.
Take a photo at the Kaminari-mon
The typical activity to do when you arrive at the entrance to the Nakamise-Dori. You will see a lot of other people doing the same.
You will notice that there are young men dressed in black traditional clothing who seem to be picking up girls in the open. These guys are actually trying to call in customers who will take a ride in their “Jinriki-sha” (Rickshaw). Some of the guys are excessive in their sales approach but they will generally leave you alone if you clearly show them that you have no intention of using their service. I have never personally used their service but a ride in the Rickshaw should net you around \9,000 for a 30min ride for 2 people.
Walk along Nakamise-Dori Street
Go past the Kaminari-mon to one of the oldest shopping district in Japan.
Walking through here takes about 10 minutes if you ignore everything around you. Obviously you will instead want to explore the shops and grab some traditional Japanese souvenirs and perhaps grab some snacks.
There is an ice cream shop along here that always have a big que especially on a hot day. To be honest the ice cream here is good, but nothing special. If you are running short on time feel free to skip this que. If you do plan to try it out though, you will want to eat your ice cream fast as it melts quick under the hot sun.
It may also be a good idea to take stroll to the side streets away from the main street. There is a famous Menchi-katsu (Meat Cutlet) shop called “Asakusa Menchi”. Tastes really good (meaty and juicy) and suitable for both winter and summer. This shop is just off slightly to the side from the main street and well worth a visit, although there is usually a massive waiting line at the store so you have to mentally prepared for the wait.
Visit the Sensoji Temple
When you enter the area you will see the pot with incense smokes coming out in the middle. Go up to it and you will see people trying to bathe in the smoke. At first glance this looks ridiculous, but actually this smoke is meant to provide good fortune and health to the body parts that it touches. Even if you do not believe in this practice it may be a good opportunity to experience the long lasting local trend just for the sake of it.
Once you head up in to the temple, you can throw in some spare coins at the alter and pray. Usually each temple in Japan have their attributes in which they provide certain benefits to pray for (such as good fortune, good health etc). Fun fact here is that Sensoji temple is one of the oldest temple in Tokyo that is home to the most compassionate Buddhist “Kannon-sama”. This means you can pray for anything you want and the Kannon-sama will hear to this.
Another fun-fact: You will see many people clap their hands once or twice before praying or making their wish. This is the practice for Shrines worshipping gods. Sensouji is a Buddhist temple so there is no need to clap your hands. Just put your hands together and bow at the end of your wishing.
Test your luck with “Omikuji”
Once your done at the temple, test your luck at the Omikuji near the base of the temple. Omikuji is a fortune slip that shows your fortune for the year. Even if you are not in to fortune-telling, it costs only \100 and takes little to no time, so why not?
There is an English How-to guide on the table. Simply follow this and you will be ok, but for the sake of it I will leave my version of the step-by-step instruction on how to Omikuji.
Step-by-step guide on Omikuji
1.Insert \100 in to the coin slot at the bench
2.Shake the silver box and flip it on its hole so a stick with a number falls out.
*DO NOT put the stick back too quick if you cannot read Japanese characters. Otherwise you will forget which number you took out!
3. Open the box that corresponds with the number on the stick and take out the paper inside.
4. If your Omikuji was bad luck, wrap it on the nearby line to dispel the bad luck.
If your Omikuji was good fortune, take it back with you!
Shopping at “Asakusa ROX” and “Don Quijote”
There really isn’t much to cover here and to be frank there isn’t anything special at the ROX and Don Quijote in Asakusa compared to rest of Tokyo. One advice though is if you are looking for daily wares it is cheaper to purchase at Daiso in the ROX rather than Don Quijote.
How locals spend their time at Asakusa
Japanese Comedy and Entertainment
Asakusa is home to one of the oldest Japanese comedy house “Toyokan”. This place has been running since the 1960’s and used to be a Strip club which gradually turned in to a comedy/Entertainment club. Toyokan is well known to be the starting point for the all-too-famous Japanese Comedian/Movie Director “Takeshi Kitano” (Takeshi’s castle, anyone?). There is now a Netflix show based on Takeshi’s starting out life at this very venue.
Many different entertainers ranging from traditional Rakugo-ka (Story tellers) and magicians to comedians who are regularly featured on TV come by to this venue and perform. The performers change daily or weekly and you can see who is due to perform on the day by either visiting their website (unfortunately only in Japanese) or looking at the bill board outside the venue.
Tickets are sold at the venue on the day and no pre-booking or the likes are available online. With the tickets price at \2,500 for an Adult, you can enjoy the show which starts from 12.30pm to around 5pm. This venue is so old school, that you are allowed to eat and drink while you watch the performance, and you are free to enter and exit the venue between performances.
Unfortunately there is no English available but anyone is invited to enjoy the vibes at this historic site for Japanese Entertainment.
Enjoy cheap and tasty lunch
There are so many places around Asakusa that offer tasty and affordable lunch. Yakiniku BBQ, Soba and Udon Noodles, Ramen, Seafood – you name it Asakusa has it. Locals often eat out at lunch time as the lunch special menus offer fantastic deals at pricing ranging from \1,000 – \1,500 for a good meal.
Hitting up the Pachinko
A good way to pass some time for locals will be to play Pachinko, one of the few semi-legal ways to gamble in Japan. For foreigners or anyone who have never played Pachinko before it will be almost impossible to understand how to play this & how to change your earnings in to cash.
I will prepare a separate guide for Pachinko so that everyone can enjoy.
Take a stroll along the Sumida River
The Sumida-River offers a good way to relax away from the crowds at Asakusa. You can stroll along the river and enjoy the neon lights at night off the bridges. I need to be honest here and let you know that parts of this river smells like sewage which puts you off from a pleasant vibe. Find a spot that doesn’t smell and you should be able to enjoy some relaxation time.
Well there we have it, a view on what its like to wonder around Asakusa. Hope this gives you an idea on what to do in Asakusa and what you can expect.
