Asakusa Tour & Authentic Geisha Experience, Licensed Guide

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is not just a valuable source of sightseeing advice, but one of Asakusa’s newest sightseeing attractions. The Center, which opened in April 2012, is housed in an attractive contemporary building of timber and glass that was designed by Kengo Kuma. Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center’s facilities include an information counter, an exhibition space, a café, and an observation deck. All the facilities are free to enter. The Tourist Information Center also organizes its own free English language guided walking tours of Asakusa every weekend.

The Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center can be found in the historic neighborhood of Asakusa. There are around 250 objects, covering about 50 styles of traditional craftwork. Exhibitions on the first and second floors show the incredible range of its collection. Through a series of displays and touch-panel screens, visitors can now read information about the exhibits in Japanese, English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Korean.

Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples.

A Shinto shrine next to Senso-ji.

Kappabashi Street is a shopping street between Ueno and Asakusa, which is lined with several dozens of stores selling everything needed by restaurant operators, with the exception of fresh food. You will find specialized stores for dishes, pots, pans, cooking utensils, stoves, tables, chairs, signs, lanterns and more. There are also a few stores which sell plastic and wax food samples, used by many restaurants in their show windows.

Denboin Street (also called Denboin-dori) is a quaint, old-fashioned shopping street that runs from the west side of Nakamise Street for about 200 meters. Denboin Street is very well preserved, with many traditional shop buildings dating date back a hundred years or more. This is a great location for finding some unique souvenirs while enjoying the atmosphere of old Edo (the old name for Tokyo). Many of the shops here have been in the same family for generations, and sell hand-crafted goods, foods, and accessories that you can only buy in Asakusa.

Yoshiwara Shrine was built in 1873. The Yoshiwara area was once a booming red-light district, and this shrine was built to pray for abundance and safety in the area. One of the gods you can pray to at this shrine, Ichikishima Hime no Mikoto, is known to be the god of art and good relationships. Thus, the shrine holds a special place in the hearts of those who do traditional Japanese dance, Japanese performances, and those who want to find good connections. The main character, Juzaburo Tsutaya, in a popular Japanese drama is a real historical figure who cultivated that culture in this area.

At the end of the tour, you will arrive at Miyakodori, a traditional Japanese ryotei in Asakusa. Here, enjoy a 2-hour authentic Geisha Experience with all-you-can-drink beverages, including an elegant geisha performance, lively ozashiki games, a traditional kaiseki meal, and photo time with the geisha — a truly unforgettable evening.