I thought it would be nice to do another travel writeup, because it's time for a break from fashion-y posts haha! Looking back over my post, it seems the last time I wrote about Asakusa was waaaay back in January when I wrote about my hatsumode experience. So why not have a nice general introduction to Asakusa? It's an important tourist site afterall haha^^/
The entrance gate to Nakamise dori and Sensoji Temple
Asakusa is part of an area of Tokyo called shitamachi, which has the atmosphere of a time gone by so to speak. It's not so cosmopolitan and can be translated as "downtown". I think that is part of the appeal of Asakusa, the feeling is more small city or old city when compared with areas like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Roppongi etc.
You'll find many shops like this on Nakamise-dori
And there are many tourist groups walking through
Asakusa has a long long history of being an entertainment center of Tokyo. And in the modern day it also has several interesting attractions that can fill up a full day of travel adventure hehe^^ These attractions include the Hanayashiki amusement park, Kappabashi, Sumida river cruises, Nakamise shopping street and Sensoji temple of course!
The Sensoji temple and the Nakamise shopping street leading up to the temple must be the most popular/visited spot in Asakusa. I think the Sensoji temple is such a popular tourist spot because of it's location amongst other attractions, because of it's history, and because you can experience traditional Japan while staying in the heart of Tokyo. (Of course that's just my observations, the real reason might be more scientific XD)
A street laying perpendicular to Nakamise-dori
To reach the main hall of the Temple you will probably choose to walk down Nakamise dori (you could take side streets) and there you will tempted by all sorts of foods and souvenirs you never knew you needed. Most of the items you can by are traditional items or wacky things. Just make sure you check where the item was made before you buy it, many are just cheap items made in China and not Japan.
If you get a bit bored of the super-touristy (not only foreigners but Japanese tourists too!) feeling of Nakamise, you can head down the one of the side streets to explore. There are lots of food shops and restaurants around, and you could try some interesting al fresca dining. But if you are not in a hungry mood you could always try a rickshaw ride!
You'll get around quickly on a rickshaw!
And they know many facts about Asakusa that they will share with you^^/
I think Asakusa is a really fun area, for it's atmosphere and there are really lots of nice things to explore and see if you walk off the beaten path a little bit. The photos for this post come from one of my favorite visits to Asakusa, my friend suggested we wander the back streets, and then we walked to Ueno. I saw so many new things, it was a great experience!
A nice restaurant with outside dining in Asakusa
