Asakusa, from the Thunder Gate to Kappabashi

Half day (3 to 4 hours)

The temple, then Kappabashi and across the Sumida River.

1. Kaminarimon, Nakamise and Senso-jithrough the gate with the giant lantern and along about 250 metres of shops to the main hall.
2. Asakusa Shrinebuilt in 1649 with a donation from Tokugawa Iemitsu.
3. Kappabashia street of kitchen and restaurant supply shops that started with a handful of dealers in 1912.
4. Sumida River Walka footbridge beside the Tobu railway bridge, over to Tokyo Mizumachi.
5. Tokyo Skytree, if you'd like to go up634 metres tall, with decks at 350 and 450 metres.

About 4 km of walking in total. Skytree tickets start at 1,800 yen and vary by day.

Full day (7 to 8 hours)

Asakusa in the morning, Ueno's national museum in the afternoon.

1. Senso-ji, Nakamise and Asakusa Shrineabout two hours.
2. Lunch in Asakusa.
3. Kappabashithen the Ginza Line from Tawaramachi to Ueno.
4. Tokyo National Museum10 to 15 minutes' walk from Ueno Station, about two hours inside.

Another option for the afternoon: the Tokyo Cruise water bus from Asakusa to Hinode Pier, about 40 minutes.

Two days

Asakusa alone is a lot for two days, so I pair it with Ryogoku and another Tokyo area.

1. Day 1the Asakusa full day.
2. Day 2the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku, reopened in 2026, then a half day in Shibuya or Shinjuku.