In Asakusa we saw the Senso-Ji Nakamise-dori temples amid some packed shopping and food stalls.

The food is served like tapas, small plates. They have unusual dishes such as whale and horse. Didn't get a chance to try the whale, but the horse sashimi was absolutely delish! All dishes are reasonably priced, we spent about $80 on 3 people and we had 3 hours worth of beers and food. I'd say it was a great deal. The atmosphere is cheerful and the restaurant is clean with speedy service. I would recommend it to those who are a bit adventurous. I would've never found the place had it not been for a japanese friend of mine who was already familiar with the establishment. All the food was so yummy!

Asakusa is one of the neighborhoods of Tokyo that still carries with it an essence of the "old Shitamachi spirit". In the Tokugawa period, Asakusa was a midpoint betwen the city and the pleasure district of Yoshiwara. It developed into a thriving entertainment town that eventually became the center for kabuki theatre. Today, it is much like any other neighborhood with high-rises and the like, however it is no longer the pleasure district it once used to be. But just walking around you still get a sense that there's a feeling of the old Edo spirit at your heels.

At the center of Asakusa is the great temple, Senso-ji. Due to the extensive damage of the firebombing of WWII, the temple was rebuilt and has since been an attraction to Japanese people and travelers from all around. The temple houses an image of the Buddhist goddess Kannon and the grounds are accentuated by various markers of Buddhist tradition. The shrine is accompanied by a 5-story pagoda and a huge incense-cauldron that bellows out "healing smoke" for visitors to pat over their bodies. Also a part of the temple is a Shinto shrine, tucked away behind the main temple.

I enjoyed taking the afternoon to walk the grounds and see the sites. Be warned however: since it's one of the larger temples in Tokyo, it is almost always crowded. I wouldn't even try it if it were around a holiday. That being said, the area surrounding the temple also makes for a nice tour. In front of the main gate is Nakamise-dori, the shopping district that sells almost anything Japanese, a great place to pick up some authentic gifts. There are plenty of good, cheap izakaya restaurant stalls just off the main road, down the alleys if your hungry or looking for a drink. Look for the open store-fronts, the "Hops" and "Beer" signs, and the shouting shop owners trying to win your business. If you wander around enough, you're bound to run into (or be run over by) the passing rickshaws. The traditionally dressed drivers cart passengers around the alleys and streets while telling them about the history of the area in both English and Japanese; a nice way to see the town.

Asakusa is a great gateway to Tokyo, both old and new. I would recommend it to anyone passing through, even if you're not Buddhist, Shinto, or Japanese.

Today I met up with Yuka and Aya, some friends from elementary school back in Singapore.  I haven't seen (or really talked to) them in about 6 years so it was nice to see them again.  We went to Asakusa, one of the most traditional and historical neighbourhoods in Tokyo. 

At the entrance to Asakusa is Kaminari-mon, or Thunder and Lightning Gate.  You can't really tell from the picture,but you walk underneath the huge lantern to go through the gate.  The lantern weighs 670kg.  On either side are statues of thunder and lightning gods.  It's a popular photo-op.  Asakusa is a really touristy part of Tokyo, so we saw a bunch of foreigners.  Yuka was telling me all of the asian people in Asakusa aren't Japanese, but Korean or Chinese tourists.  Haha.  This gate is the start of Nakamise, an old merchant road that stretch between this gate and the gate in front of Senso-ji, the Asakusa temple.

Asakusa seemed like a lot of winding streets and alleyways with store after store after store.  There were a lot of different things for sale from yukata and traditional Japanese confections to gaudy tourist ware and cheap shoes.  There were food stalls and restaurants every few feet, there was so much to see.  I was on the hunt for a yukata since Andrew told me I would be able to find something nice here, being a more "traditional" part of Tokyo, but it was pretty pricey.  I guess they can afford to jack up the prices since its such a tourist trap.  I did manage to find some postcards finally. Aya told me the post office sells them too, but I actually haven't gone to my post office yet.  I'll check it out tomorrow.  That would be pretty convenient if they did.

My sister said she would bring me to the famous temple a few train rides away from her home.  She said this is a famous tourist spot. a must-see for first time goers to Japan. Asakusa.
Asakusa is where the temple Sensoji  is, the major trademark of this temple is the big red lantern hanging by the gate.
When you walk inside, you'll see this great stretch of stores, selling souvenirs, like key chains, fans,  small lanterns, face towels, and traditional Japanese treats.  There are soooooo much to see and soooooo much to take in, there are so many colors, and cute-sy little stuff that Japanese people are so annoyingly good at!  that would make you wanna buy everything you see, until you do some mental calculation, and then you say, "what?! are u kidding me!?" haha. 

it will awaken all your 5 senses!  seeing kitty in a kimono (aww... i know!), smelling the sweet smelling treats! and tasting some free samples (no purchases required, haha), hearing all different kinds of languages (english, chinese, german, russian...), and feeling the people who are amazed at what they are seeing, IT IS AMAZING.

tip: dont hold the merchandise unless you want to buy, especially food products! they tend to get a little sensitive about this if you just soil the packaging.

There are like maybe a hundred stores back to back, selling everything that us sucker tourists will buy haha.  I went there during summer, it was really warm, so they were also selling summer treats, like choco-strawberry (its a cold strawberry dipped into a quick-dry chocolate (as i call them haha) also snow cones (yumyum), and cold drinks and fresh fruits sticks!!!

after you walk through the market area, you see a GIANT red lantern, with Chinese (Kanji) characters written on them, and then you start smelling the insence.  there are fortune telling areas, its a Buddhist practice where you can ask questions, and get answers by shaking a can full of sticks with numbers  until a stick falls out; pick up the stick, and see the corresponding drawer with your supposed "answer" is in.  ( i didnt try this one out, but i think it's in japanese, so you can have it interpreted or something).  beside it is where you can write down your wish, and then fold it, and tie it on one of the strings on the stand.  (see my photo, i was just posing haha)

then you go further inside, you see a big giant bowl of burning insence; they say if you have body ache or headache or something, fan the smoke to your direction, they believe it will make you feel better.  see the photo? thats me and Mr. Tanba, he's funny and really hospitable, he's my sister's boyfriend. ("Take our aches away....")

and then you can go in, and go light a few sticks of incense, take a photo, or just enjoy the grand structure of the temple, see locals kneeling, praying.  afterwards, you could wash your hands with cold water just beside the temple, i dont know what its for, maybe just to freshen you up, but i saw some locals drinking from it. ?:-/

anyway, this is just an preface for my next blog, on my way to Odaiba!!!!!!!!!!! hoorah!

We took the subway again (we were getting the hang of it by now) to the Asakusa Nakamise shopping district.  There was a series of temples and shrines there.  Lee and Dave made the point that they were nice, but just not that spectacular compared to Wat Arun and the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, that  the three of us had visited in 2004.  Lee likened it to seeing Badlands National Park after having visited The Grand Canyon.   Its cool, but just not the same!  After exploring the temples, we split up and spent an hour shopping for trinkets for the folks back home in the Nakamise shopping area, kind of a big alley filled with shops and stalls in front of the main temple.   I managed to find a gift there for everyone on my list, that wouldn't compromise my limited suitcase storage space. 

Guest houses are the best all round deal weather you are staying a short time or a long time in Japan a guest house is the cheapest option available in this country. The average cost is around 30 USD (3,000 yen) per night. Most guest house include all facilites and are located close to the popular sightseeing areas. They are cheap, clean and convienient. I recommend then one near Asakusa - Sakura Hostel great location and recently new. Its close to all the sites of Asakusa and nearby Ginza.

Asakusa is considered the heart of old downtown Tokyo. There is so much to see and do as well as experiencing some of the flavour of the old downtown area. I recommend getting off at Asakusa station and heading to the Karimon Gate (this is the outter gate of Sensoji Temple.) Walk down Nakamise Dori (Shopping street that leads up to Sensoji Temple). Nakamise Dori has many shops selling japanese snacks and souviners. If you are looking to buy a lucky cat "Maneki Neko" also known as beckoning cat then this is the place to buy it there is a wide varitey available. Once you get to the end of Nakamise Dori you will arrive at Sensoji Temple. Sensoji Temple is a very popular Buddhist Temple. At the entrance you will see the insence smoke which is used to cleanse yourself before entering the Temple and upon entering the Temple once inside you will see people praying. Also around this area you can see the Five storey Pagoda, Asakusa Shrine (Jinja) and Denpoin Temple. Kappabashi Dori (Kitchenware street)which is Tokyo's wholesale resturant supply area. It is also worth visiting and why not pick up one of the plastic replicas of food that you see in many of Tokyo's resturant windows. While in Asakusa you can also experience some of old edo times of this downtown city by taking a rickshaw ride. You will see the rickshaws at the Karimon Gate entrance. Asakusa is also home to the headquarters of the Asahi Brewery. There are tours available daily but only available in Japanese. For food I recommend going to the Kamiya Beer Bar resturant. It is the Oldest bar in town since 1880. Food and drink are very reasonably priced. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Kamiya Bar building which is located just out of the exit of Asakusa station. Near the Asakusa train station you can also take a cruise down the Sumida river and get a view of Tokyo from the water. The cruise takes you to Odaiba (Tokyo Bay Island). I recommend getting of here and exploring the many shops, resturants and sights. This is a must see while in Tokyo.