Things to do in  Asakusa

Standing at the northern end of Nakamise shopping street in the traditional old district of Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple is one of Tokyo’s most visited temples. Dedicated to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, it’s also the city’s oldest temple and an important site in Japanese Buddhism, home to various structures, including the 5-Storied Pagoda, the Hozomon Gate, the Thunder Gate (Kaminarimon), and the Main Hall (Kannondo).

In Tokyo’s Asakusa district, Nakamise Street is the neighborhood’s most famous shopping area, lined with shops and stalls offering souvenirs, clothing, sweets, and street food. The pedestrianized street is part of the ancient Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa Temple) complex and boasts the title of one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets. Must-try treats include imo yokan confectionery made from sweet potato paste.

Hanayashiki, opened in Tokyo in 1853, is Japan’s oldest amusement park. It was originally a flower park but developed over the decades to include the rides, shops, and cafés that appear there now. Among its many attractions are the oldest steel-track roller coaster in Japan, rideable robot pandas, a haunted house, and a 3D theater.

In Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood—a traveler favorite for its old temples and traditional charm—you’ll find this pedestrianized street that runs east–west, intersecting with the busier north–south Nakamise Shopping Street. Although this area was badly damaged during World War II, it’s been reconstructed in the loose style of Edo-era Tokyo (spanning the 17th-19th centuries).

Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood is beloved for its traditional charm and historic temples and shrines. Adding another element of tradition is the Asakusa Engei Hall, one of only four theaters in Tokyo where rakugo comedy is performed. While the art form was especially popular during the Edo period (17th–19th centuries), rakugo has only been staged at Engei Hall since the 1960s.

The Hozomon Gate is one of two large gates that lead to the 7th-century Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood. But the English word “gate” doesn’t really do justice to the two-story wooden structure, painted red and white, with curved roofs, wooden statues and giant sandals on either side (protective symbols), and a huge red lantern suspended from the middle.