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Asakusa: 3.5-hour Big-picture History Walk
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
$79.15
This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after
they redeem the gift voucher.
Overview
What if one half-day walk in Asakusa could reveal the bigger story of Japan? This tour goes far beyond sightseeing, using real landmarks to explain not just what you see, but as a gateway to understand Japan’s history, beliefs, and society. With your expert guide, you’ll:
1) Explore Japan’s 300-year isolation and reopening to the world.
2) Understand why Japan chose the Netherlands as its only trading partner when it closed itself.
3) Learn how the 19th-century Japanese art had an impact on the West, especially French impressionists.
4) Discover how Shinto and Buddhism have coexisted for over a millennium, with shared worshippers and a shared influence on everyday life.
5) Compare Japanese and Western symbolism, including dragons.
6) Discover the shared mindsets in Japan and the West a millennium ago.
7) Experience the contrast between the sacred temple and former entertainment districts
8) Explore nostalgic postwar lanes, and streets that evoke Edo-period Japan.
1) Explore Japan’s 300-year isolation and reopening to the world.
2) Understand why Japan chose the Netherlands as its only trading partner when it closed itself.
3) Learn how the 19th-century Japanese art had an impact on the West, especially French impressionists.
4) Discover how Shinto and Buddhism have coexisted for over a millennium, with shared worshippers and a shared influence on everyday life.
5) Compare Japanese and Western symbolism, including dragons.
6) Discover the shared mindsets in Japan and the West a millennium ago.
7) Experience the contrast between the sacred temple and former entertainment districts
8) Explore nostalgic postwar lanes, and streets that evoke Edo-period Japan.
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History Tour
Start times
Start times
Tour guide
Language: English
Human tour guide
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Selection of Japanese sweet snacks (e.g. melon pan, rice dumpling, rice cracker, sweet puffed rice).
- English-speaking guide
- Earphone Guide System to deliver the guide’s voice securely to each participant from distance.
- Food and drinks, except those specified
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point
The meeting place is in front of a Burger King restaurant right next to Exit 4 of Asakusa subway station (G19) on the Ginza line. Please step outside when you reach Exit 4. See below for details.
https://bit.ly/3KBlIr5
Return details
The meeting place is in front of a Burger King restaurant right next to Exit 4 of Asakusa subway station (G19) on the Ginza line. Please step outside when you reach Exit 4. See below for details.
https://bit.ly/3KBlIr5
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Sumida RiverBegin along the Sumida River, where the story of Japan’s isolation and opening to the world comes alive. Learn why the Edo shogunate sealed the country for over 200 years, why the Netherlands alone was permitted to trade, and how Admiral Perry’s arrival forced Japan to reopen. The guide connects this past to modern Tokyo—right down to Odaiba’s former gun batteries and today’s Statue of Liberty replica facing the Pacific.
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Asakusa Culture Tourist Information CenterGet a clear introduction to Japan’s two major religions, Buddhism and Shinto, setting the foundation for everything you’ll see ahead.
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At Asakusa’s iconic gate, explore the fascinating contrast between Japanese and Western dragons—and learn why the Japanese dragon plays exactly an opposite role from the Western one.
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Nakamise Shopping Street (Kaminarimon)Stroll through one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets while learning about Buddhist symbols like the vajra (tokko) and the world-changing impact of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Discover how these prints unexpectedly reached Europe—and inspired Western Impressionist painters.
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HozomonHere, your guide reveals a surprising truth: people in Japan and the West shared remarkably similar ways of thinking 1,000 years ago.
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Senso-ji TempleTokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple offers another striking comparison between medieval Japan and Europe, along with a clear explanation of how prayer differs in Buddhism and Shinto.
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Asakusa ShrineTo those familiar with religions, it is unfathomable that Busshist temple and shinto shrine coexist on the same premises and share both their origins and worshipers. In that sense, Asakusa shrine is not just another shinto shrine in Japan. The guide will tell you why and you will find how these two religions are ingrained in life of the ordinary Japanese.
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Senso-ji Temple YogodoWhile the Yōgōdō Hall houses the “Twelve Zodiac Guardian Deities,” it’s the only place at Sensō-ji where you can receive a goshuin. A goshuin is a sacred temple seal, hand-written in beautiful calligraphy by a monk or temple staff member.
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Asakusa NishisandoCompared with the busy souvenir stalls of Nakamise Street, this small shopping street offers a quieter, nostalgic atmosphere. Enjoy the respite away from the bustling Nakamise.
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While Sensō-ji represents spiritual Asakusa, this area represents its entertainment culture. Before Shinjuku or Shibuya became famous, this was the place to come for modern entertainment.
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Hoppy StreetWhile Sensō-ji represents spiritual Asakusa, Hoppy Street shows us its working-class soul. This narrow lane is famous for old-style Japanese pubs where people sit at small outdoor tables, eat grilled skewers, and drink from early afternoon, embodying a symbol of postwar recovery and working-class resilience.
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ToyokanWhile Sensō-ji represents sacred Asakusa, this area is known for laughter and entertainment. Feel the atmosphere of the city’s most exciting place in the early 20th century, a hub of modern culture: cinemas, comedians, variety shows, and popular theater.
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Feel like stepping into an old movie set of Edo-period Japan. The wooden-style facades and traditional decorations are designed to recreate the atmosphere of commoners' quarters in the Edo-period.
If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met,
you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
How it works?
01
—
You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
02
—
We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
03
—
Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!
Asakusa: 3.5-hour Big-picture History Walk
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
$79.15
This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after
they redeem the gift voucher.
How it works?
01
—
You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
02
—
We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
03
—
Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!