Asakusa Central Hotel

... so nobody was there. :( According to Mai, the cosplayers are now only allowed to hang out there on weekends. Then, we went to Asakusa, which I've already been to.  It's a nice place to blow your money.  I got a red kimono. Apparently young ...

... the way to Asakusa, so we decided to make a detour. There is one Japan Rail line which makes a continuous loop around Central Tokyo (handy!), Akihabara is one of its stops (perfect!)[Our hotel is located right next to the Shimbashi station, which is ...

... sure!    An afternoon surrounded by thousands of gates: In the afternoon we then took a train a few stations away from central Kyoto to Fushimi Inari Shrine, a Shinto shrine famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates. Inari is the god of ...

... Shinkansen (Bullet Train) in the wee hours of the 29th of December. From there I met up with a friend before heading back to Asakusa to drop my belongings off in Khaosan Annex Hostel.  From there we headed out to explore the sights of Tokyo. But ...

... , though many people seemed to be drinking a little or washing their mouths with it too. Next stop was Tokyo Station, effectively central Tokyo, where we were to pick up our JR (Japan Rail) Rail Passes. These are available only to foreign tourists, and ...

... Asakusa's drawbacks, but also a sign of how much of a pull the area has on curious travelers. Beyond the market lies Asakusa's main attraction, Senso-ji temple. The temple itself has a majestic presence, and traditional in every sense of the word. ...

... Nothing like US security. Take Narita express to Ueno.  There we get on the Asakusa subway line to Asakusa.  Wander around a little, find our hotel.  Friendly innkeeper doesn't speak much English.  Pay for first night (rest to pay on ...

... close to our hotel in Shiodome. 30 June 2008 We woke early and by 5.30am were at the Tsukiji Central Fish Market - again only a short ride from the hotel. The fish market is every bit as amazing as the guidebooks indicate - the most amazing array ...

... Imperial Palace, a Japanese garden where we experienced a traditional green tea ceremony, the Tokyo Tower; we drove by Ginza, stopped at Asakusa Kannon Temple which is located in the oldest part of Tokyo.  This is the part of town where it feels more ...

... ; even the people in shops were gracious and cordial, offering our change in both hands like it was a religious offering. Tokyo Central Station was a hive of super activity, and as we stood in the middle getting our bearings, we were surrounded by rivers ...

... so it is very handy indeed. The first place I went was Ueno, which isn't really home to much, but is very close to Asakusa, so I thought I would have a look around anyway. The main sight in this par of town is the park, which plays host to several ...

... Less than an hour. So far here I've seen a festival where hundreds of portable shrines are carried through the streets of Asakusa (a district of Tokyo) by thousands of people.  I heard that a million people attend the festival. It certainly was ...

... on the way back took over 45 minutes to get me to Asakusa, which meant I must have been an extraordinary distance outside of central Tokyo. I found out later in the day that one of the guys I was out with went back and forth between Shibuya and Asakusa ...

... Matsuri - where over 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) are taken from their neighbourhood resting place and paraded through the Asakusa Kannon Temple. This means tens of thousands of people streaming through the streets, drinking beer, performing rites and ...

... Ueno Eki (that’s “train station” for the English speaking readers) and decided to head east towards the Asakusa neighborhood we stayed in previously.  There is a street about halfway in between that features all manner of cooking ...

... the earlier one of "Brightly Coloured Walkers and Generator House", I think. Next stop is the Sensoji Temple, near Asakusa Station. Architecturally and historically very interesting, but not a place of quiet contemplation by any means. It's packed with ...

... Sky Access Line and Keisei Main Line before becoming a limited express on the Oshiage Railway line and finally a local on the Asakusa Subway line. Such a multi-operator and multi-system service makes the shared operation of our Circle Route bus service in ...

... in the 1920s. It's very peaceful and you soon forget about the craziness of the city. The buddhist temple of Sensoki in Asakusa is also worth a look. The surrounding area is much less high-rise than others and with a bit of imagination you could guess ...

... , tons of shopaholic girls, seedy clubs, hole in the wall bars and a ridiculous amount of shopping. We'll see if this applies to the rest of Tokyo, as I'm visiting Asakusa tomorrow, after a morning in the old capital of Kamakura, for more shrines! ...

... into it so we got to jam out to our favorite Japanese songs - all none of them. Next was the Sony Building in the central square. It was high tech heaven. It would have been great to experience if we could read Japanese. All of the gadgets and ...