Asakusa Sensoji Temple Walking Tour Tokyo: A Detailed Review

So, planning a trip to Tokyo and considering a walking tour of the Asakusa Sensoji Temple? Well, you have landed in the right place. Actually, Sensoji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and too it’s an incredibly fascinating spot. Right, the atmosphere around the temple, with all the shops and the incense, really is quite memorable. In a way, if you’re hoping for a taste of old Tokyo, it might just be an ideal place to begin.

Why Visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple?

Basically, Sensoji Temple isn’t just another tourist spot; actually, it’s a place with a pretty cool story and significance. As a matter of fact, according to legend, back in 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, that’s the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River. At the end of the day, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get rid of it, so they dedicated a temple to her. Well, that was the start of Sensoji! Of course, it provides visitors a real sense of old Tokyo. In some respects, exploring its history feels almost like stepping back into the past, you know?

Arguably, one of the greatest things, is that the temple provides some kind of visual treat too. I mean, the vibrant colors, specific design, and giant paper lantern at the Kaminarimon Gate give you something interesting to look at. Right, it’s a place to take a few photos and really soak up the feel of a seriously wonderful cultural treasure.

Getting There: How to Reach Asakusa

So, figuring out how to get to Asakusa is pretty simple, and really, you’ve got a bunch of handy ways to travel. Clearly, the easiest option is to just hop on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line or the Toei Asakusa Line to Asakusa Station. Anyway, from there, it’s more or less just a short walk to Sensoji Temple.

Another way to travel is that, if you are arriving from Narita Airport, the Keisei Skyliner will take you straight to Asakusa too. Right, that saves time and makes everything easier when you’re carrying suitcases, right? You know, a fun choice that’s pretty cool, actually, is taking the Sumida River Cruise, that lands you near the temple, alright. We love making your trip as relaxed as could be.

A Step-by-Step Walking Tour of Sensoji Temple

So, when you are doing a walking tour, starting from Kaminarimon Gate is usually a smart move, and just so you know, it’s pretty iconic. Basically, that humongous red lantern there is difficult to ignore. Anyway, take a quick picture before diving into Nakamise-dori, and you’ll like what you see.

Kaminarimon Gate and Nakamise-dori Street

The deal is that, Kaminarimon Gate, also known as the Thunder Gate, marks the start of your trip. Of course, with the enormous paper lantern and statues of the thunder and wind gods, it creates a cool entry. Very, it’s impossible to ignore, this entrance!

Then, step onto Nakamise-dori, which has more or less been a shopping street for centuries. So, this street’s got everything, and basically, the street is packed with little stores selling conventional crafts, treats, and keepsakes. You know, trying some of the local snacks such as *ningyo-yaki* (small cakes filled with sweet bean paste) is almost part of the experience.

Hozomon Gate and the Five-Story Pagoda

After all, after walking Nakamise-dori, you’ll come to Hozomon Gate. Naturally, it’s an outstanding structure with impressive guardian statues. Basically, right next to it, the five-story pagoda makes for a pretty awesome sight. Then again, taking some time to admire the pagoda’s complex construction is usually worthwhile, okay?

Alright, here is the thing, these locations usually provide amazing chances to just understand more about Japanese Buddhist design, that’s a seriously interesting topic. That is to say, don’t zoom through them, but really stop and soak everything up.

Sensoji Temple Main Hall (Kannon-do) and Asakusa Shrine

After all, the Kannon-do is surely the center of Sensoji Temple. At the end of the day, this is where people come to hope and show their respect. Also, remember to participate in the common practices like burning incense and wafting the smoke over yourself, which is believed to offer healing, so that would be amazing. Right, that main hall just brings you a strange sense of calm!

Next door, Asakusa Shrine is a calm escape, that provides a view into Shinto practices. Like your local guide showed you, unlike the vibrant Buddhist temple, the shrine offers a simpler, more quiet setting, usually for people hoping for success. We love that you can understand the two religions side by side, right?

Denboin Garden

Basically, if you are into landscaping, thinking about checking out Denboin Garden, right next to Sensoji Temple, just might be a good move. So, this place usually gives a quiet getaway from the tourists. Actually, the backdrops here have traditional landscaping, a pond, and painstakingly designed features that show off Japanese garden design and construction, very admirable indeed.

Things to Do Around Sensoji Temple

So, Asakusa’s location really has so many choices for exploring other parts of Tokyo too. Also, checking out these sites, in fact, enriches the temple trip with various fun and cultural experiences.

Sumida River Cruise

Actually, a Sumida River Cruise provides a particularly cool way to see the area, okay? As a matter of fact, these cruises provide you waterfront views of Tokyo’s skyline. The experience might be unique and give some cool viewpoints for seeing key places such as the Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo Skytree

Speaking of, The Tokyo Skytree, among Tokyo’s more popular places to visit, offers amazing scenic views. Right, that makes a great photo opportunity.

Asakusa Engei Hall

Arguably, for people looking to experience some standard Japanese performing arts, think about checking out a show at Asakusa Engei Hall. Too it’s almost as if it presents “rakugo” (conventional Japanese storytelling) and manzai (comic routines), and, seriously, can provide fun amusement and give a bit of Japanese culture.

Tips for a Great Visit

If you think about these handy tips for making your time memorable and stress-free, I mean, you will probably be happy.

Best Times to Visit

In fact, to steer clear of really large crowds, think about visiting Sensoji Temple in the morning or later in the afternoon. Because the temple usually gets really busy in the middle of the day, specifically on the weekends, visiting when it’s quieter usually offers a more serene experience.

What to Wear

Right, there aren’t any specific outfit rules for going to Sensoji Temple. Though, showing respect by wearing decently usually makes sense, alright. Also, for all that walking, putting on comfy shoes really might be beneficial. That is to say, I have made mistakes on footwear choices many times!

Etiquette to Keep in Mind

Just a little advice, remember a handful of decorum recommendations to just make sure you display respect during your trip: When inside the key hall, hold your voice down. When burning incense, if you’re using that smoke and pushing that toward yourself, I mean, this practice usually promotes recovery, and basically that shows a bit of local custom. And just know that usually no photography is permitted inside key locations, so be aware and compliant. Also, these small steps ensure that your trip happens respectfully, and really gets added to an ideal environment just for anyone who’s on that land. What do you reckon?

Where to Stay

For that traveler hoping to absorb each second in Asakusa, picking the right places could really improve just how satisfied people may feel. This town gets more than a reasonable bit of recognition, and offers various choices with regards to convenience, feel, as well as accessibility to key attractions. To see the real magic of this place means you are doing right.

• The Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon by Hulic: As I was saying, we can show that you are able to get some seriously great spot on top. From it’s ideal positioning to its top level spots. Basically, you will not regret seeing what’s going on just outside. The design seems amazing, and basically we get different positive reactions for such luxury too. In short, we enjoy all of what has been prepared for anyone who goes here, really.
• Asakusa View Hotel: Very near key tourist spots and some very luxurious interior design, anyone should enjoy whatever is found with this lodging choice. You could say you may very well be located in the central location of the temple, in addition to its rooms generally give beautiful views. It may cost some considerable bucks; just know you’ll see precisely why it costs so much in all, since you feel and find you are staying in it.
• Richmond Hotel Premier Asakusa International: This could have something far more modern, but remains quite simple for anyone who likes all the conveniences offered elsewhere around the city too. So that we see for that, any visitor tends to like that option if you do not like something incredibly distinct but nonetheless useful simultaneously for being relatively closer. This could serve some kind comfort whilst seeing all it can provide, it’s quite helpful, just in a convenient sort of option!