Must Try 1: Visit Asakusa Kannon on yearly events
Asakusa Kannon (Sensoji Temple)
Senso-ji Temple is one of the most popular destinations for international visitors. The exotic vermilion-lacquered gate, main temple, and five-story pagoda are a sight to behold.
There are a lot of stores selling traditional Japanese knick-knacks and snacks in the Nakamise shopping arcade that leads to the main temple. There are stores selling elaborately crafted miniature wooden tableware and furniture as well.
Some stores sell rice crackers baked right in front of you, and others sell traditional Japanese sweets etc. It is fun to walk along the Nakamise while eating snacks from these stores.
As you walk toward the main temple hall from the entrance of Sensoji Temple, you will see three large red lanterns donated from regions around Sensoji Temple and so on.
A large straw sandal (4.5 meters(14.9ft) long, 1.5 meters(4.1ft) wide, and weighing 500 kg(1,102.4lb)) is hanged at the Hozomon gate. It is said that this represents the power of the Niou-sama (Guardian kings) of Sensoji Temple, and that demons will leave the temple for fear of the Niou-sama who wear such a large straw sandal.
Hozuki-Ichi, in which potted hozukis (lantern plant) are sold
What you should definitely experience when you come to Sensoji Temple are the traditional events held at the temple.
Sensoji Temple has a monthly special day once a month. The July special day is especially called “46,000 days” because it is said that doing an act of charity on the day is equivalent to 46,000 day-actions.
The Hozuki-ichi (Hozuki market) is held on the July special day(46,000 Days). The scene that stalls selling hozuki cover the grounds of Sensoji Temple is a summer tradition in Asakusa. Why hozuki, it is because there was a folk belief that adults could be cured of chronic illnesses that were hard to cure and children could be cured of stomachaches if they drank the whole hozuki with water.
At the Hozuki Market, wind bells of various colors are sold as well. The wind bells, which sway and tinkle in the wind, bring a sense of coolness to the air.
Hagoita-Ichi
In December, dozens of stores selling Hagoita (a wooden racket for traditional Japanese badminton) line up in the precincts of the temple, making the Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita market) a poetic tradition in Asakusa during New Year’s Holidays.
Hagoita is traditionally a racket to hit a shuttlecock made of feather for the game of New Year’s Day, but at the Hagoita Market, beautifully painted Hagoita are sold to celebrate the New Year.
Hagoita was originally regarded as a lucky charm for the New Year, as the shuttlecock made of feather resembles dragonfly that eats insects (bad diseases). Eventually, the custom of giving a hagoita to the home of a newborn girl became popular.
Must Try 2: Cherry Blossoms & Fireworks of Sumida River
Cherry Blossoms Along Sumida River
If you visit Asakusa in late March or early April, why not enjoy viewing cherry blossoms along the Sumida River?
Approximately 300 cherry trees are planted on the Sumida-ku (Sumida ward) side and 600 on the Taito-ku (Taito ward) side on the opposite bank. The rows of cherry trees stretch about 1 km along both banks of the Sumida River, and visitors can enjoy the view of cherry trees of the collaboration with the Tokyo Sky Tree. It has also been selected as one of the 100 Best Cherry Blossom Sites in Japan.
A ride on a houseboat or a water cruise boat on the Sumida River is also recommended to view the rows of cherry trees on both banks of the river.
At night, the cherry trees in the park are lit up, creating a fantastic atmosphere.The view of the Sky Tree over the nighttime cherry blossoms of the Sumida River is spectacular.
Sumida River Firework Festival
The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is said to be the oldest fireworks festival in Japan. In 1733 during the Edo period, Suijin-sai (a water god festival) was held on the day of festival marking the start of boating season of the Ryogoku Bridge to pray for the spirits of the dead and to ward off evil spirits. Approximately 20,000 fireworks are set off.
Must Try 3: Savor Ebi (Shrimp) Tempura
Ebi Tempura
The oldest existing tempura restaurant is said to be Kaminarimon Sansada in Asakusa, which was founded in 1837 during the Edo period. There are many traditional tempura restaurants in Asakusa. Tempura was made from fresh seafood caught in the Edo Bay (old Tokyo Bay) and eaten by hand in the old days.
The word tempura is said to be derived from the Portuguese word “tempero”, which means to cook.
Among tempura, prawn (ebi) tempura is the best. When you eat it, the crispy coating comes first, and then the elastic prawn meat comes which is snapped off, spreading the flavor of the prawn in your mouth. When it comes to prawn tempura, it is all about the way of cooking. If it is overcooked, it becomes dry and hard. It is said that a good tempura chef judges the perfect timing to pull tempura out of the oil by the sound of the tempura as it is being fried.
Each restaurant is particular about the type of oil it uses. Cottonseed oil is characterized by its moderate flavor that does not interfere with the taste of the ingredients while sesame oil is made by roasting and squeezing sesame seeds, and is amber in color and has a fragrant aroma.
Tempura Soba
Tempura is eaten at tempura restaurants as well as at various Japanese restaurants. Tempura soba is a standard menu of soba (buckwheat) noodle restaurants.
There are two types of soba: tenzaru soba, which is cold soba served with prawn tempura on a separate plate, and tempura soba, which is soba in a warm soup with prawn tempura on top.
If you eat the tempura soba immediately after it comes out, you can enjoy the crispy coating of the tempura, but after a little time, the coating absorbs the soup and becomes softer. In other words, you can enjoy two different tastes as time goes by. The oil from the coating melts into the soup, and the taste of the soup changes as well.
For more information about soba, please check it from here: “8 Japanese Foods to Learn About” / “Soba”
Tendon
Talking about tempura menu, you cannot forget tendon. Tempura is served on a bed of cooked hot rice topped with a sweet sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and dashi (Japanese soup stock). The combination of the oil from the coating, the taste of the sweet sauce, and the flavor of the prawn is exquisite.
Advice & Recommendations from a Native Japanese
Sanja-sama (Asakusa Shrine)
Let me introduce Asakusa Shrine which is also called Sanja-sama.
Sensoji Temple (Asakusa Kannon) and Asakusa Shrine (Sanja-sama) are close by, but how are they different in the first place? To understand it, it is necessary to understand the difference between a temple and a shrine.
What temples believe in is Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion founded by Buddha, who was born in ancient India. It was introduced to Japan from the Eurasian continent via China.
Temples are places where monks who believe in Buddhism study its doctrines and practice their asceticism.
On the other hand, shrines believe in Shinto. Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. The concept of Shinto is that all beings, including nature, people, objects, and land, are worshipped as gods, or “Yaoyorozu no Kami” (the eight million gods). Shrines are places where the deities reside.
Senso-ji Temple began when a statue of the Bodhisattva found by fishermen brothers in the Sumida River was enshrined by a local influential person to his house which was turned into a temple.
Later, the Asakusa Shrine was built to worship the brothers and the influential local person.
Numerous sacred animals are depicted at Asakusa Shrine. Most are fictitious animals, but all are symbols of peace and wishes for people’s happiness. The Hiryu (flying dragon) depicted in the upper left corner is a winged fish that presides over water.
The Qilin depicted in the upper right corner is one of the most famous gods in ancient Chinese thought. In this image, it has the body of a deer, the head of a wolf, the tail of an ox, the legs of a horse, and has the horns as well. It is said that the Qilin is a benevolent beast that never steps on grass or insects, and is said to be a deity that appears when a superior king appears.
Sanja Matsuri (Sanja festival) is held in May and is one of the most popular festivals in Japan, attracting approximately 1,800,000 people over the course of three days, mainly due to the parade of portable shrines, which is both heroic and spectacular, while retaining the Edo (old Tokyo) atmosphere.
It is said to be the most lively festival of the year in Asakusa, a downtown area, and is one of the most representative festivals of early summer in Tokyo.
The sight of a large number of people carrying portable shrines in high spirits is a sight not to be missed.
We believe that god exists in the portable shrines which is constructed in the same way as the shrine. God moves in the portable shrines during festivals. People began carrying the portable shrines to purify the local community in times of plague or natural disasters.
Torino-Ichi
Torino-ichi (rooster market) is a festival to wish for good luck and prosperous business on the day of the rooster based on Chinese zodiac in November, and is a representative annual event that has continued since the Edo period. If you visit Asakusa during this period, you should go to Torino-ichi at Otori jinja (Otori Shrine).
At Torino-ichi, rakes are sold. Rakes are the farming tools for raking up fallen leaves and grains originally, but rakes are said to have become a good-luck talisman for gathering good fortune, gold and silver.
Ennichi ＆ Yatai(Stalls)
Ennichi is a festival held at shrines and temples on a specific day that is associated with memorial services. It is believed that if you pay a visit to a shrine or temple on the day of Ennichi, you will receive even greater blessings than usual.
Hozuki-ichi, Hagoita-ichi, Torino-ichi and Sanja Matsuri are held on the days of Ennichi. On Ennichi, food stalls line up on the grounds of shrines and temples, which are crowded with visitors. One of the best ways to enjoy Asakusa is to wear a rented kimono (Japanese traditional dress) and join the Japanese people on enjoying these stalls.
Food Stalls
Typical food stalls are ones for takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake), yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), and yakitori (skewered grilled chicken). The stalls selling ringo-ame (candied apples) and wata-ame (cotton candy) are also popular.
For more information about okonomiyaki and takoyaki, please check it from here: “8 Japanese Foods to Learn About” / “Okonomiyaki & Takoyaki”
Other Stalls
There are many other stalls besides food. Some stalls sell wind chimes and masks of animation heroes, but the most characteristic one is kingyo sukui (goldfish scooping).
Goldfish are scooped up with a thin paper scoop, called a poi, and the scooped goldfish can be taken home. You can scoop up the goldfish, but by the time they are put in the container, the paper is torn and they run away in many cases. When I was a child, I tried many times, hoping to catch a goldfish the next time, but in the end, sometimes I could not catch even one.
There is also yo-yo scooping, where you scoop colorful yo-yos.
Kappabashi Dogugai
Kappabashi Dogugai is a wholesale district with more than 170 wholesale stores that sell tableware, packaging materials, cooking utensils, and other products for professionals.
Popular among tourists from overseas are kitchen knives with excellent sharpness. It is said that many tourists are inspired by the image of Japanese swords.
Recently, omelet cookers for making omelet at home have become popular as Japanese omelet has typical image of Japanese cooking.
Food samples are also very popular. Food samples are said to be a uniquely Japanese culture. The elaborate creation of objects is a specialty of the Japanese. Many of them are so elaborately made that they are indistinguishable from the real thing. Food samples are basically used for restaurant menus, but key chains and other items are also sold as souvenirs.
Access Information
To Go to Asakusa Kannon (Sensoji Temple) & Sanja-sama (Asakusa Shrine)
5 minutes from Asakusa station of Tobu Line
5 minutes from Asakusa station of Tokyo-metro Ginza Line
5 minutes from Asakusa station of Tsukuba Express Line
5 minutes from Asakusa station of Toei Subway Asakusa Line
To Go to Otori Shrine (Washi-jinja Shrine).
15 minutes from Asakusa station of Tobu Line
15 minutes from Asakusa station of Tokyo-metro Ginza Line
15 minutes from Tawara-machi station of Tokyo-metro Ginza Line
7 minutes from Iriya station of Tokyo-metro Hibiya Line
8 minutes from Asakusa station of Tsukuba Express Line
To Go to Kappabashi Dogugai
13 minutes from Asakusa station of Tobu Line
5 minutes from Tawara-machi station of Tokyo-metro Ginza Line
6 minutes from Iriya station of Tokyo-metro Hibiya Line
5 minutes from Asakusa station of Tsukuba Express Line
13 minutes from Asakusa station of Toei Subway Asakusa Line
