Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…
©Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo's eastern neighborhoods, on the banks of the Sumida-gawa, have an old-Tokyo (shitamachi) feel, with venerable temples and shrines, lovely gardens, traditional restaurants and artisan shops. Zone in on Asakusa's atmospheric Buddhist temple complex Sensō-ji and the sumo hot spot of Ryōgoku, home to the ancient sport's Tokyo stadium and a top-class history museum.
Attractions
Must-see attractions for your itinerary
Asakusa & Sumida River
Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo Skytree opened in May 2012 as the world’s tallest ‘free-standing tower’ at 634m. Its silvery exterior of steel mesh morphs from a triangle at the…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Founded in 1627, this shrine is famous as the birthplace of the sumo tournament. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna (sumo grand…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)
Asakusa & Sumida River
For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…
Articles
Latest stories from Asakusa & Sumida River
Guidebooks
Purchase our award-winning guidebooks
Get to the heart of Asakusa & Sumida River with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.