Lonely Planet Tokyo
Page 24
Sample a cup of paint-thick matcha (powdered green tea) at this tiny teahouse on the edge of Ueno-kōen. Tradition dictates that the bitter tea be paired with something sweet, so choose from the artful desserts in the glass counter, then pull up a stool at the communal table. It's a white building on a corner.
BousingotBAR
(ブーザンゴ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3823-5501; www.bousingot.com; 2-33-2 Sendagi, Bunkyō-ku; drinks from ¥450; h6-11pm Wed-Mon; bChiyoda line to Sendagi, exit 1)
It's fitting that Yanaka, which refuses to trash the past, would have a bar that doubles as a used bookstore. Sure, the books are in Japanese but you can still enjoy soaking up the atmosphere with some resident book lovers.
Kayaba CoffeeCAFE
(カヤバ珈琲 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3823-3545; http://kayaba-coffee.com; 6-1-29 Yanaka, Taitō-ku; drinks from ¥450; h8am-11pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun; bChiyoda line to Nezu, exit 1)
This vintage 1930s coffee shop (the building is actually from the '20s) in Yanaka is a hang-out for local students and artists. Come early for the 'morning set' (coffee and a sandwich for ¥800). In the evenings, Kayaba morphs into a bar.
3Entertainment
Tokyo Bunka KaikanCLASSICAL MUSIC
(東京文化会館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.t-bunka.jp/en; 5-45 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku; hlibrary 1-8pm Tue-Sat, to 5pm Sun; dJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Ballet both make regular appearances at this concrete bunker of a building designed by Maekawa Kunio, an apprentice of Le Corbusier. Prices vary wildly; look out for monthly morning classical-music performances that cost only ¥500. The gorgeously decorated auditorium has superb acoustics.
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is the main venue for Tokyo Haru-sai (東京春祭 www.tokyo-harusai.com/index_e.html), a classical-music festival that takes place every spring. There's also a music library where it's free to listen to vinyl platters (mainly classical but also Japanese and various other ethnic and folk music) on old LP players.
7Shopping
oAmeya-yokochōMARKET
(アメヤ横町 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.ameyoko.net; 4 Ueno, Taitō-ku; h10am-7pm, some shops close Wed; dJR lines to Okachimachi, north exit)
Step into this partially open-air market paralleling and beneath the JR line tracks, and ritzy, glitzy Tokyo feels like a distant memory. It got its start as a black market, post-WWII, when American goods were sold here. Today, it's packed with vendors selling everything from fresh seafood and exotic cooking spices to jeans, sneakers and elaborately embroidered bomber jackets.
oYanaka MatsunoyaHOMEWARES
(谷中松野屋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.yanakamatsunoya.jp; 3-14-14 Nishi-Nippori, Arakawa-ku; h11am-7pm Mon & Wed-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Nippori, west exit)
At the top of Yanaka Ginza, Matsunoya sells household goods – baskets, brooms and canvas totes, for example – simple in beauty and form, and handmade by local artisans.
ShokichiARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3821-1837; http://shokichi.main.jp; 3-2-6 Yanaka, Bunkyō-ku; h10am-6pm Wed-Sun; bChiyoda line to Sendagi, exit 1)
Mitsuaki Tsuyuki makes and sells his incredible hand puppets here – look out for lifelike renditions of Japanese celebs and, natch, Elvis. He can hand-make a portrait puppet from a photograph (¥40,000). Far more affordable are the quick portraits he draws via one of his hand puppets (¥1000).
If you can get a group of three or more together, he'll put on a 30-minute puppet show for ¥1000 per person.
Edokoro Allan WestART
(繪処アランウエスト MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3827-1907; www.allanwest.jp; 1-6-17 Yanaka, Taitō-ku; h1-5pm, from 3pm Sun, closed irregularly; bChiyoda line to Nezu, exit 1)F
In this masterfully converted garage, long-time Yanaka resident Allan West paints gorgeous screens and scrolls in the traditional Japanese style, making his paints from scratch just as local artists have done for centuries. Smaller votive-shaped paintings start at ¥5000; the screens clock in at a cool ¥6 million.
IsetatsuARTS & CRAFTS
(いせ辰 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3823-1453; 2-18-9 Yanaka, Taitō-ku; h10am-6pm; bChiyoda line to Sendagi, exit 1)
Dating back to 1864, this venerable stationery shop specialises in chiyogami – gorgeous, colourful paper made using woodblocks – as well as papier-mâché figures and masks.
2Activities
oRokuryu KōsenBATHHOUSE
(六龍鉱泉 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3821-3826; 3-4-20 Ikenohata, Taitō-ku; ¥460; h3.30-11pm Tue-Sun; bChiyoda line to Nezu, exit 2)
Dating from 1931, this gem of a neighbourhood sentō (public bath) has a beautiful mural of the wooden arched bridge Kintai-kyo in Iwasaki on the bathhouse wall. The amber-hued water is packed with minerals that are reputed to be excellent for your skin, if you can stand the water temperature – a scalding-hot 45°C in the cooler of the two pools!
The bathhouse is located down a small lane next to a shop with a green awning.
Ueno Free Walking TourWALKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; https://tokyosgg.jp/guide.html; 7-47 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku; dJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit)F
Free tours of Ueno, conducted in English by volunteer guides, leave from in front of the Green Salon (グリーンサロン) cafe every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 10.30am and 1pm. No sign-up is necessary.
Yanesen Tourist Information & Culture CenterART
( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3828-7878; www.ti-yanesen.jp/en; 3-16-6 Yanaka, Taitō-ku; h9am-5pm; bChiyoda line to Sendagi, exit 2)
Check the website for information on cultural experiences and guided tours of the Yanesen area. Some activities such as shodō (calligraphy), sadō (tea ceremony), noodle making and wearing a kimono or yukata can be arranged on the day.
PRACTICAL TIP
BICYCLE RENTAL
Ueno-kōen and Yanesen are great places to stroll; they're also great places to cycle. Hipster bicycle manufacturer Tokyobike Rental Services ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3827-4819; www.tokyobike.com/rental; 6-3-12 Yanaka, Taitō-ku; per day ¥2500; h10am-7pm Wed-Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Nippori, west exit) in Yanaka rents seven-speed city bikes. Reserve one in advance by sending an email with your name, and desired day and height.
Asakusa & Sumida River
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Activities
Asakusa & Sumida River
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Sensō-ji Browsing the craft stalls of Nakamise-dōri and soaking up the atmosphere (and the incense) at Asakusa's centuries-old temple complex.
2Ryōgoku Kokugikan Catching the salt-slinging, belly-slapping ritual of sumo at one of the city's four annual tournaments.
3Edo-Tokyo Museum Learning about life in old Edo at this excellent history museum with full-scale reconstructions of famous buildings.
4Tokyo Sky Tree Scaling the world’s tallest communication tower, seeing the capital at your feet, then browsing the Solamachi mall at the base afterwards.
5Fukagawa Fudō-dō Being blown away by the theatre of the fire ritual at this Shingon sect temple, which also has a trippy corridor lined with 9500 mini Buddhas.
Explore Asakusa & Sumida River
Welcome to the area long known as Shitamachi (the 'Low City'), where the city's merchants and artisans lived during the Edo period (1603–1868). Asakusa (ah-saku-sah), with its bustling temple complex, is one of Tokyo's principal tourist destinations. During the day, and especially at weekends, Sensō-ji is jam-packed. Step off the main drags though and you'll find far fewer tourists, and the craft shops and mum-and-dad restaurants that have long defined these quarters.
The neighbourhoods east of the Sumida-gawa – Oshiage, Ryōgoku, Fukagawa and Kiyosumi – look much like they have for decades, having experienced little of the development seen elsewhere in the city; Tokyo Sky Tree, just across the river from Asakusa, is the exception. Make it your last stop
of the day, to see the city all lit up at night.
Ryōgoku has two key sights, the sumo stadium and the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Further south, Fukagawa and Kiyosumi have a handful of worthy sights (a temple, a shrine and a garden) yet remain fairly off the radar. Exploring these peaceful neighbourhoods can give you a feel for the old-Tokyo culture of the city's east side.
Local Life
AStreet Food Asakusa brims with street food vendors, especially along Nakamise-dōri.
AFestivals The 15th and 28th of each month are festival days at Fukagawa Fudō-dō and Tomioka Hachiman-gū, with food stalls and a flea market.
AParks Sumida-kōen, on both sides of the river around Asakusa, is a cherry-blossom-viewing hot spot and also gets packed for the summer fireworks festival (隅田川花火大会, Sumida-gawa Hanabi Taikai ).
Getting There & Away
ATrain The Tōbu Sky Tree line leaves from Tōbu Asakusa Station for Tokyo Sky Tree Station. The JR Sōbu line goes to Ryōgoku.
ASubway The Ginza and Asakasa line stops at separate Asakusa stations. The Asakusa and Hanzōmon lines stop at Oshiage. The Ōedo line connects Ryōgoku, Kiyosumi (Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station) and Fukagawa (Monzen-Nakachō Station).
AWater Bus Tokyo Cruise (水上バス, Suijō Bus %0120-977-311; http://suijobus.co.jp) and Tokyo Mizube Cruising Line ferries stop at separate piers in Asakusa; Tokyo Mizube Cruising Line also stops in Ryōgoku.
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
Tokyo Mizube Cruising Line (www.tokyo-park.or.jp/waterbus ) water buses depart from Niten-mon Pier in Asakusa for Odaiba, via Ryōgoku. It's actually the most convenient way to get between Asakusa and Ryōgoku (¥310, one way 10 minutes) and is the perfect way for travellers short on time to sample a river cruise.
Best Places to Eat
A Otafuku
A Kappō Yoshiba
A Asakusa Imahan
A Onigiri Yadoroku
Best Places to Drink
A Popeye
A Café Otonova
A Camera
A 'Cuzn Homeground
Best Places to Shop
A Marugoto Nippon
A Tokyo Hotarudo
A Bengara
A Kakimori
TOP SIGHT
Senso-ji
Sensō-ji main gate | TOPNATTHAPON / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Sensō-ji is the capital’s oldest temple, far older than Tokyo itself. According to legend, in AD 628, two fishermen brothers pulled out a golden image of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of compassion) from the nearby Sumida-gawa. Sensō-ji was built to enshrine it. Today the temple stands out for its old-world atmosphere – a glimpse of a bygone Japan rarely visible in Tokyo today.
Kaminari-mon
The temple precinct begins at the majestic Kaminari-mon (雷門; Thunder Gate MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.senso-ji.jp/guide/kaminari_e.html; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), which means Thunder Gate. An enormous chōchin (lantern), which weighs 670kg, hangs from the centre. On either side are a pair of ferocious protective deities: Fūjin, the god of wind, on the right; and Raijin, the god of thunder, on the left. Kaminari-mon has burnt down countless times over the centuries; the current gate dates to 1970.
Nakamise-dōri Shopping Street
Beyond Kaminari-mon is the bustling shopping street Nakamise-dōri. With its lines of souvenir stands it is very touristy, though that's nothing new: Sensō-ji has been Tokyo's top tourist sight for centuries, since travel was restricted to religious pilgrimages during the feudal era. In addition to the usual T-shirts, you can find Edo-style crafts and oddities (such as wigs done up in traditional hairstyles). There are also numerous snack vendors serving up crunchy sembei (rice crackers) and age-manju (deep-fried anko – bean-paste – buns).
At the end of Nakamise-dōri is Hōzō-mon (宝蔵門 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.senso-ji.jp/guide/hozomon_e.html; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), another gate with fierce guardians. On the gate’s back side are a pair of 2500kg, 4.5m-tall waraji (straw sandals) crafted for Sensō-ji by some 800 villagers in northern Yamagata Prefecture. These are meant to symbolise the Buddha’s power, and it’s believed that evil spirits will be scared off by the giant footwear.
Main Hall
In front of the grand Hondō (Main Hall), with its dramatic sloping roof, is a large cauldron with smoking incense. The smoke is said to bestow health and you'll see people wafting it over their bodies. The current Hondō was constructed in 1958, replacing the one destroyed in WWII air raids. The style is similar to the previous one, though the roof tiles are made of titanium.
The Kannon image (a tiny 6cm) is cloistered away from view deep inside the Main Hall (and admittedly may not exist at all). Nonetheless, a steady stream of worshippers visits the temple to cast coins, pray and bow in a gesture of respect. Do feel free to join in.
Off the courtyard stands a 53m-high Five-Storey Pagoda (五重塔 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.senso-ji.jp/guide/gojyunotou_e.html; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), a 1973 reconstruction of a pagoda built by Tokugawa Iemitsu; it's due to be renovated in 2017. The current structure is the second-highest pagoda in Japan.
Asakusa-jinja
On the east side of the temple complex is Asakusa-jinja (浅草神社 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3844-1575; www.asakusajinja.jp/english; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; h9am-4.30pm; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), built in honour of the brothers who discovered the Kannon statue that inspired the construction of Sensō-ji. (Historically, Japan's two religions, Buddhism and Shintō were intertwined and it was not uncommon for temples to include shrines and vice versa.) This section of Sensō-ji survived WWII and Asakusa-jinja's current structure dates to 1649. Painted a deep shade of red, it is a rare example of early Edo architecture.
Next to the shrine is the temple complex's eastern gate, Niten-mon (二天門 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.senso-ji.jp/guide/nitenmon_e.html; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), standing since 1618. Though it appears minor today, this gate was the point of entry for visitors arriving in Asakusa via boat – the main form of transport during the Edo period.
Awashima-dō & Chingo-dō
Sensō-ji includes many other smaller temples. One to visit is Awashima-dō (あわしま堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), on the western edge of the temple grounds, which dates to the late 17th century. Another is Chingo-dō (鎮護堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.senso-ji.jp/guide/chingodo_e.html; 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; h6am-5pm; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1), which has a separate entrance on Dembō-in-dōri. It pays tribute to the tanuki (racoon-like folkloric characters), who figure in Japanese myth as mystical shape-shifters and merry pranksters.
Fortune Telling
Don't miss getting your fortune told by an omikuji (paper fortune). Drop ¥100 into the slots by the wooden drawers at either side of the approach to the Main Hall, grab a silver canister and shake it. Extract a stick and note its number (in kanji). Replace the stick, find the matching drawer and withdraw a paper fortune (there's English on the back). If you pull out 大凶 (dai-kyō, Great Curse), never fear. Just tie the paper on the nearby rack, ask the gods for better luck, and try again!
During the first three days of the New Year more than 2.5 million people visit Sensō-ji to pray for the year to come.
Festivals
Asakusa-jinja hosts one of Tokyo’s most important festivals, May’s Sanja Matsuri, which draws 1.5 million visitors. On 8 February Awashima-dō holds a curious ceremony: hari-kuyō (the needle funeral) when monks perform last rites for broken or old sewing needles and kimono makers show gratitude to the needles by sticking them in blocks of tofu.
Don't Miss
AKaminari-mon
ANakamise-dōri stalls
AIncense cauldron at the Main Hall
ATemple lights at sunset
AOmikuji (fortune telling)
Practicalities
A浅草寺
A MAP GOOGLE MAP
A%03-3
842-0181
Awww.senso-ji.jp
A2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku
Ah24hr
AbGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1
1Sights
1Asakusa
Sensō-ji Top Sight
MAP GOOGLE MAP
Super Dry HallARCHITECTURE
(フラムドール; Flamme d'Or MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.asahibeer.co.jp/aboutus/summary/#headQuarter; 1-23-1 Azuma-bashi, Sumida-ku; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 4)
Also known as Asahi Beer Hall, the headquarters of the brewery was designed by Philippe Starck and completed in 1989 and remains one of the city's most distinctive buildings. The tower, with its golden glass facade and white top floors, is supposed to evoke a giant mug of beer, while the golden blob atop the lower jet-black building is the flame (locals, however, refer to it as the 'golden turd').
Amuse MuseumMUSEUM
(アミューズミュージアム MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.amusemuseum.com; 2-34-3 Asakusa, Taitō-ku; adult/student ¥1080/540; h10am-6pm; bGinza line to Asakusa, exit 1)
Here you'll find a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered by famed ethnologist Tanaka Chūzaburō. Many of the pieces are like fine works of contemporary art.