Japan · Walking Tour

Asakusa: Culture exploring bar visits after history tour

4 Hours Round trip from Taito City Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Guided history walk through Asakusa’s most iconic sights
  • 02 Visit Sensō-ji Temple, Kaminarimon Gate, and Asakusa Shrine
  • 03 Learn how Asakusa developed from riverfront origins to a cultural hub
  • 04 Explore Rokku and Dempoin Street for a different side of the district
  • 05 Experience three distinct types of izakaya restaurants
  • 06 Enjoy 3–4 drinks and 3–4 dishes, enough for a full dinner
  • 07 Discover the culture, history, and variety behind Japanese sake

Discover Asakusa through two of Japan’s most enduring cultural traditions: sacred history and everyday dining. Begin with a guided walk through one of Tokyo’s most storied districts, tracing the area’s roots along the Sumida River and exploring landmarks including Kaminarimon Gate, Hozomon Gate, Sensō-ji Temple, and Asakusa Shrine.

Along the way, learn how Buddhism, Shinto, commerce, and entertainment shaped Asakusa into one of Tokyo’s most distinctive neighborhoods. Then continue into the local izakaya scene, where you’ll visit three different styles of bars to enjoy a full dinner’s worth of dishes and drinks while discovering the stories behind Japanese food, sake, and after-work culture.

Discover Asakusa through two of Japan’s most enduring cultural traditions: sacred history and everyday dining.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Not included
Wheelchair access No
City Tokyo
Languages English, Japanese

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Sumida River

Just as Asakusa’s history started by the Sumida river, so do our tours. Across the Azumabashi bridge, we will see Tokyo Sky Tree, Asahi Breweries' headquarters with its world-famous golden flame object. 

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center

From Sumida river, we will stroll to Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. This is not not just a valuable source of sightseeing information, but one of Asakusa’s newest sightseeing attractions. This 8-story building, designed by a world famous Japanese architect, has a very striking structure with the appearance of a stack of separate wooden buildings that seem piled up on top of each other at different angles. From the open terrace Observation 

Kaminarimon (Thunder) Gate

Kaminarimon gate ("Thunder Gate") is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji temple. The gate, with its huge red lantern and statues, is popular among tourists. The guide will demystify this giant lantern and its surrounding objects. 

Hozomon (Treasure) Gate

The Hōzōmon (Treasure-House Gate) is the inner of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji temple (the outer being the Kaminarimon), Tokyo. A two-story gate, the Hōzōmon's second story houses many of the Sensō-ji's treasures. We will see two statues, three lanterns and two large sandals housed in the first story. 

Senso-ji Temple

Between Hozomon gate and Sensoji's main hall, we have a lot to see and do. On the left, we will see Five-storied Pagoda the second highest (53m-high) pagoda in Japan built in 942. It holds Buddha's ashes on its top floor given by Sri Lankan goverment and buddhist society for goodwill between Sri Lanka and Japan. We will have three major things to observe or do before entering the temple's main hall. First: - You will draw omikuji, or paper fortune, to predict your future (included in the costs you have already paid). Second: - Most Japanese stop at the huge bronze incense burner to bathe their hands and faces in the smoke. This is a ritual to ward off illnesses-before climbing the stairs to offer their prayers. Third: - Water purification fountain which people use to purify themselves before going inside the temple. You will also see a famous sculpture perching on the fountain. We will now proceed to the main hall of the temple which is the climax of the tour. Look forward to what you will see and the guide will recount there! 

Asakusa Shrine

To those familiar with religions,it is unfathomable that Busshist temple and shinto shrine coexist on the same premises and share both their origins and worshipers. In that sense, Asakusa shrine is not just another shinto shrine in Japan. The guide will tell you why and you will found how these two religions are ingrained in life of the ordinary Japanese. 

Dempoin Street

After the magnificence of Sensoji, we'll escape into the Rokku area: Asakusa's traditional entertainment district, always bustling yet rarely busy. Walk through the Meiji period into the present day (with stops along the way for more Japanese sweet snacks). Once a district of endless novelty — movies, comedians and exotic animals — Rokku passed through its glory days to become a quaint neighborhood of handicrafts and nostalgia. Through vivid descriptions of its complex, colorful history, you'll even see sights that aren't there to see anymore! Packed with cosy bars, eateries, and snack stands, as well as boutique shops for traditionally crafted goods of all kinds, the narrow, winding and wandering streets of Rokku will lead you through the other Asakusa experience. 

Three distinct types of izakaya restaurants

Savor traditional dishes and drinks. We will share culture and history which triggered their birth. Find out the depth of sake in its varieties,
flavors, and production processes which have been refined over centuries.  

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Taito City 1 city · 4 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • On average, 3 – 4 drinks and 3 – 4 dishes, which is enough for a full dinner meal.

What's Not Included

  • Hotel pickup or drop-off

Know before you go

  • STROLLER OR PRAM ACCESSIBLE
  • ANIMALS OR PETS ALLOWED
  • PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
  • INFANTS MUST SIT ON LAPS
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • The meeting place is in front of a Burger King restaurant right next to Exit 4 of Asakusa subway station (G19) on the Ginza line. Please step outside when you reach Exit 4. See below for details.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Taito City, JP
Tour start
Taito City, JP
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 4 hours finish where they began, in Taito City.

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