Asakusa

浅草

Things to Do in and Around Asakusa

Asakusa is the neighborhood most people picture when they imagine old Tokyo. The district grew up around Senso-ji Temple, founded in the 7th century, and flourished as the city's entertainment quarter during the Edo period (1603-1868). Today its lantern-lit gates, snack-filled shopping streets, and craftsmen's workshops draw visitors from around the world. It also makes a convenient base, with Tokyo Skytree standing one stop away, just across the Sumida River.

Where to go

Places to visit in Asakusa

Rokku Broadway

Sensoji Temple

Asakusa Shrine

Asakusa Public Hall

Location

Where is Asakusa?

Asakusa sits in Taito Ward, in the northeastern part of central Tokyo, on the west bank of the Sumida River. Ueno is about 2 km to the west, and Tokyo Skytree stands directly across the river in Sumida Ward. The area around Senso-ji Temple is compact and easy to explore on foot.

Region

Kanto Region

Prefecture

Tokyo

Local transport

Getting Around

Asakusa Station is served by the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line, and Tobu Skytree Line. From Narita Airport, direct trains via the Narita Sky Access Line reach Asakusa in about an hour; from Haneda Airport, the Keikyu Line runs through-service to Asakusa Station in about 40 minutes. From Tokyo Station, take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda and transfer to the Ginza Line, about 20 minutes in total. The Ginza Line itself is a piece of history: opened in 1927, it is the oldest subway line in Asia.

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Get to Know

About Asakusa

Asakusa packs temples, markets, street food, and craftsmanship into an area you can cover in half a day on foot, though it rewards a slower pace. These are the spots that define the neighborhood.

Senso-ji Temple

A traditional Japanese temple seen from a pathway lined with small, illuminated shops.

Senso-ji is Tokyo's oldest temple, with origins dating back to 628. Legend says two fisherman brothers pulled a small statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, from the Sumida River, and the temple grew around it. The approach begins at the Kaminarimon Gate, where a giant red lantern about 4 meters tall hangs between statues of the wind god and thunder god. Every May, the Sanja Matsuri festival takes over the district: dozens of portable shrines bob above the crowds while drumbeats echo off the shop fronts.

Nakamise Shopping Street

A lively, crowded pedestrian street lined with shops, some displaying red lanterns, with many people walking, including a couple in traditional Japanese kimonos.

Stretching about 250 meters from Kaminarimon to the temple's main hall, Nakamise is one of Japan's oldest shopping streets, lined with nearly 90 stalls. Freshly grilled senbei rice crackers, ningyo-yaki sponge cakes filled with sweet bean paste, and kibi-dango dumpling skewers are the classic snacks here. Many shops have served temple visitors for generations, some since the Edo period.

Hanayashiki and the Western Backstreets

Amusement park with roller coasters and a drop tower, with Tokyo Skytree and a pagoda in the background.

A few minutes' walk west of the temple stands Hanayashiki, Japan's oldest amusement park, in operation since 1853. Its compact roller coaster, running since 1953, weaves between the surrounding buildings at a charmingly gentle speed. The backstreets around it, once the Rokku entertainment district, hold rakugo storytelling theaters and the izakaya-packed Hoppy Street. Nearby Kappabashi Street sells professional kitchen knives and the uncannily realistic plastic food samples displayed in restaurant windows across Japan.