Paper lanterns glowing under the roof of the Nakamise arcade

Old Tokyo, through a local's lens

Every spot visited and photographed by me, a Tokyo local.

Asakusa in 2 hours

1Kaminarimon Gate, AsakusaStart here in the morning, before the crowds · 15 min
2Nakamise Street, AsakusaEat your way up — 3–4 snacks at about ¥500 · 30 min
3Senso-ji TempleMain hall and pagoda — try the free Ito En tea · 20 min
4Asakusa Tourist Information CenterFree 8th-floor terrace with a view down Nakamise · 20 min
5Skytree view from Azuma Bridge, AsakusaSkytree across the river — walk the riverside · 30 min

Where I'd actually eat

The facade of 今井鳥良商店 (Imai Toriyoshi Shoten) inside a covered arcade in Asakusa, with wooden hanging signs reading 手羽先唐揚 (chicken wing karaage), 杉板焼き (cedar pla

Hoppy Street, AsakusaIzakaya lane

A floor-to-ceiling glass wall display of Japanese kitchen knives with colorful handles, with whetstone boxes arranged on the counter below at a Kappabashi knife

Kappabashi Kitchen TownShopping street“I went to look at tableware, but Iidaya is the shop I recommend most. They have hundreds of kinds of cooking tools — if you love cooking, you can spend an hour in there. I bought a ginger grater and a frying pan, among other things.”

Nakamise-dori looking toward the Hozomon Gate of Senso-ji with dense festival crowds, Japanese national flags and red lanterns, the five-story pagoda visible to

Nakamise Street, AsakusaStreet food“On Nakamise, I'd recommend eating your way along the street — three or four snacks at around ¥500 each.”

Explore the east side

Red gate over Denboin-dori street in Asakusa under a blue sky

AsakusaSenso-ji, Nakamise and the old temple town on the Sumida River.

Tokyo Skytree and the Asahi building across the Sumida River

Skytree & SumidaThe riverside, Azuma Bridge and the tallest tower in Japan.

Coming next: Kappabashi · Ueno · Kuramae · Hamarikyu & Shiodome · Sugamo

SK · Tokyo local. I take every photo myself and write in English with help from AI. How this guide is made