Asakusa, Kanto, Japan

5TanK823 5:00 PM Jan 8, 2020

Time Well Spent
Began our tour at the Sensoji Temple at around 9 am. This is at the center of the shopping area and a good place to begin. By that time visitors both locals and foreigners are beginning to gather inside to pray, visit and take pictures. The temple is well maintained, beautiful bright orange red color all around and have not change much over the centuries. Most memorable would be the huge bright orange lantern at the entrance of the main gate and the incense burner at the center of the temple ground where people gather to have a whiff of the smoke to pat on their head and body for good luck. After the temple we went straight to the shopping street. Asakusa's shopping street runs at 2 main intersections and with some smaller lanes parallel to these main streets. Most shops opens around 10 and crowds easily build up at the center of the shopping district. Here various stalls carries and sells, souvenirs, ice cream in winter, local delicacies, home decors, collectible toys and the likes. But don't stay at the center too long and missed out on some good finds at the edge of the shopping area. There the crowd is thinner and the shops have been there for some time. Here we get to sort through more variety of local good. Bought home made wallets and cloth wall hangings for framing at home, Found and bought a19th century Hokusai woodblock print. Tasted more food, visited a coffee shop, ladies accessories shop, ceramic and pottery shop, another antique Japanese postcard and woodblock print shop and stayed at an owl cafe for an hour. It is an unhurried, relaxed visit.

4Emily D 5:00 PM Oct 25, 2020

Always worth the visit!
Famous for the amazing entrance with the long shopping street that lines the walk up to the main temple and pagoda, Asakusa is worth the visit. For the first time I was able to view inside the main temple too. To get a goshuin (temple stamp) there is a small building off to the right (if looking at the main temple). Still people around at the moment, but a significantly better experience without thousands of tourists. Always worth the visit but particularly at the moment.