Asakusa - Blogabond

Went to Asakusa today for the temple, the market and the shopping. Going around Tokyo is really easy, as the Yamanote loop line connects you to pretty much anything you might want to visit, perhaps with the addition of riding for a few stops on a different line.
Got off the station, a guy collecting donations for typhoon and quake victims talked to me and after that I explored the area.

Yes, it's a brewey

Nakamise-dori was my first stop, it's right through the Kaminari-mon (see below) and basically the street leading to the Senso-ji, the prominent temple of the area. It is a market and souvenir street with pretty much anything you might want to buy and way more. Seriously, if you ever feel the need to buy a last-minute-present before going home, this is the place. Real weapons (swords, spears, sai, ...) on sale as well.

Nakamise-dori

Swords for sale

After browsing this madness I continued to the Senso-ji itself...

Kaminarimon

Senso-ji

Temples need public phones too, apparently

Temple construction going on

Giant sandal

...and the shrine right next to it

Nearby shrine

There was this pigeon sculpture and many signs to not feed them. You remember the deer on the island in Hiroshima? Same principle, way more specimen expected.

Pigeon statue

Anyone got an okarina handy?

Loving to cook myself I really looked forward to my next stop: Kappabashi-dori, the Kitchen Town of Tokyo. Its a street lined with pretty much everything to do with selling, preparing, presenting, storing, ... food. You can buy quality knives, cheap bowls and as many plastic food imitations as you can fit in you window. Oh, and a Kappa is a mystical creature living in rivers --> The mascots of the street.

Giant bug on the wall

Anyone wants to create their own Chinatown?

Furniture

Bowls

Kappa doll

Going to Nikko for two days tomorrow for its oh-so-many World Heritage Sites and the National Park.

So long and stay tuned,
JuergenS

written by

JuergenS on August 3, 2010 from Tokyo, Japan

from the travel blog: Two month of Japan

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Thank you, that was a very nice overview of the area, which also happens to be my research area! Interesting with your mention of pigeouns and cooking. There are yakitori (grilled Chicken) restaurants serving pigeoun. I visited a famous one in Asakusa. The cook told me that they only serve the bird in the winter, that's when it tastes best. It was a small but very nice restaurant, if anybody is interested I'll try to find out where it is located - I have forgotten as I was brought there by a friend.

Regards
Hans Karlsson
http://tokyoedoradio.org
Web radio from Tokyo's Old Town

written by Hans Karlsson on November 22, 2010

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