We planned to spend a whole morning in this famous old section of Tokyo. However, the walk around both Sensō-ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street took us less than an hour. (If you plan to do a lot of shopping at the market, maybe you can fill the whole morning.) Our lunch reservation at Waentei-Kikko was still two hours away so we decided to take another stroll through the area and search for the most popular restaurants/food stands based on queue length. We found the longest lines outside the Japanese-burger shop, Asakusa Menchi (浅草メンチ) and the 100+ year old tempura restaurant, Tempura Daikokuya (大黑家天婦羅). There are also traditional Japanese rickshaws for hire if you to tour the area in an old-fashioned way.
Senso-ji Temple
浅草寺
Things to do in Taito | Tokyo | Japan
Built in 628 , Senso-Ji Temple is the oldest and the most important Buddhist temple in Tokyo. The temple is also known for its impressive entrance, the Kaminarimon Gate ("Thunder Gate") with a gigantic 700-kilogram red lantern. The 200-meter walkway between the gate and the temple is Nakamise shopping street. You might end up spending more time sampling local delicacies and buying souvenirs here than visiting the temple itself.
Senso-Ji Temple is recognized in Hoptale's First-Time Visitor Guides as one of the top things to do in Tokyo.
Contact:
Address:
2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo 111-0032, JapanMap 
Category:
Attraction, Religious Site, Temple
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Traveler Notes
I want to make the most of my trips to Japan so I often start very early. Like 4:00 AM early.
Thankfully, we are a family of early risers so waking up at 4:00 am is a piece of cake.
Since Senso-ji is right beside Asakusa Station, it would make sense to see the temple during the day before the crowds descend upon this place.
I showed my family how to purify yourself and how to find get your Omikuji Paper Fortunes.
Once we got those instaworthy shots, we headed to Ueno.
The ultimate tourist trap but its a great place for first or second time visitors to try the variety of Japanese snack and tradition items. Here are some of the items I found here:
1. Furoshiki (wrapping cloth)
2. Bokken (wooden training sword)
3. Furin (windchime)
4. Hashi (chopsticks)
5. Sensu (folding fan)
6. Uchiwa (non-folding fans)
7. Festival Masks
8. Tabi Socks
Nakamise Shopping Street is such an obviously tourist trap but I don’t mind getting caught in it.
If you want to do some souvenir shopping but you have to be careful about the budget, I recommend you take a look at the stores further away from the main street. The products are slightly cheaper and the designs more unique than the ones in the main street.
Similarly, because I wake up early in the morning, I get to see Nakamise-dori and Asakusa before it becomes a tourist hole.
You can observe the people or take your time taking in the gorgeous structures.
Allocate a day or two to waking up early and put locations that you want to see without people. The experience is way different.
We arrived in our Airbnb a bit later than I planned but we had enough time to enjoy the Senso-ji illumination and an empty but well lit Nakamise-dori.
During my first trip to Senso-ji, I was still finding my bearing. It was only now I truly got to full appreciate the temple grounds.
This is not a bad first visit with the destination for the family.
First stop: Sensō-ji! Unfortunately the Pagoda was under renovation, but the place is truly beautiful.
But how many good things to eat are here? 🥟🍦🤤
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