Asakusa

nihongo|Asakusa|浅草 is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several more temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.

History

For most of the twentieth century, Asakusa was the major entertainment district in Tokyo. The golden years of Asakusa are vividly portrayed in Kawabata's novel "The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa" (1930; English translation, 2005). In its role as a pleasure district, it has now been surpassed by Shinjuku and other colorful areas of the city.

Geography

Asakusa is on the north-east fringe of Central Tokyo, at the Eastern end of the Ginza subway line, approximately one mile east of the major Ueno railway/subway interchange. It is central to the area colloquially referred to as Shitamachi (not an official designation), which literally means "low city," referring to the low elevation of this old part of Tokyo, on the banks of the Sumida River. As the name suggests, the area has a less frenetic and more traditionally Japanese atmosphere than some other neighborhoods of Tokyo.

ightseeing and historic sites

With so many religious establishments in the area, there are frequent "matsuri" (Shinto festivals) in Asakusa, as each temple or shrine hosts at least one "matsuri" per year, if not per season. The largest and most popular is the Sanja Matsuri in May, in which roads are closed from dawn until late in the evening.

In a city where there are very few buildings older than 50 years (owing to wartime bombing), Asakusa has a greater concentration of 1950s-60s buildings than most other areas of Tokyo. There are traditional "ryokan" (guest-houses), homes, and small-scale apartment buildings dotted throughout the district.

In keeping with a peculiarly Tokyo tradition, Asakusa hosts a major cluster of domestic kitchenware stores on Kappabashi-dori, which is visited by many Tokyoites for essential supplies.

Next to the Sensō-ji temple grounds is a small carnival complex with rides, booths, and games, called Hanayashiki. The neighborhood theaters specialize in showing classic Japanese films, as many of the tourists are elderly Japanese.

Cruises down the Sumida River depart from a wharf only a five minute walk from the temple.

Because of its colorful location, downtown credentials, and relaxed atmosphere (by Tokyo standards), Asakusa is a popular accommodation choice for budget travelers.

Asakusa is also home to one of the geisha districts in Tokyo.

ee also

*Asakusa Shrine
*Kaminarimon
*Hōzōmon

External links

*wikitravel|Tokyo/Asakusa
* [http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Asakusa Wikitravel: Tokyo/Asakusa]
* [http://picturetokyo.com/en/city/asakusa.html Asakusa Guide @ Picturetokyo.com] Information and Gallery
* [http://www.tripfilms.com/Travel_Video-v104-Tokyo-Asakusa-Video.html Video on Asakusa]
* [http://tristan.ferroir.free.fr/Photos/?level=album&id=3 Asakusa photo album]