A walking tour of Asakusa

Start: Hama Rikyu Garden (Shiodome Station); or Asakusa Station (exit 1 or 3).

Finish: Kappabashi Dori (station: Tawaramachi).

Time: Allow approximately 5 hours, including the boat ride.

Best Times: Tuesday through Friday, when the crowds aren't as big.

Worst Time: Sunday, when Demboin Garden and the shops on Kappabashi Dori are closed.

If anything remains of old Tokyo, Asakusa is it. This is where you'll find narrow streets lined with small residential homes, women in kimono, Tokyo's oldest and most popular temple, and quaint shops selling boxwood combs, fans, sweet pastries, and other products of yore. With its temple market, old-fashioned amusement park, and traditional shops and restaurants, Asakusa preserves the charm of old downtown Edo better than anyplace else in Tokyo. For many older Japanese, a visit to Asakusa is like stepping back to the days of their childhood; for tourists, it provides a glimpse of the way things were.

Complete Tokyo Guide A walking tour of Asakusa Favorite experiences in Tokyo Frommer's social skills tips for Tokyo Dining in Tokyo without spending a fortune

Pleasure-seekers have been flocking to Asakusa for centuries. Originating as a temple town back in the 7th century, it grew in popularity during the Tokugawa regime, as merchants grew wealthy and whole new forms of popular entertainment arose to cater to them. Theaters for Kabuki and Bunraku flourished in Asakusa, as did restaurants and shops. By 1840, Asakusa had become Edo's main entertainment district. In stark contrast to the solemnity surrounding places of worship in the West, Asakusa's temple market had a carnival atmosphere reminiscent of medieval Europe, complete with street performers and exotic animals. It retains some of that festive atmosphere even today.

The most dramatic way to arrive in Asakusa is by boat from Hama Rikyu Garden (see stop no. 1, below), just as people used to arrive in the olden days. If you want to forgo the boat ride, take the subway directly to Asakusa Station and start your tour from stop no. 2. Otherwise, head to:

1. Hama Rikyu Garden

Located at the south end of Tokyo (station: Shiodome, exit 5, then a 5-min. walk), this is considered by some to be Tokyo's finest garden. It was laid out during the Edo Period in a style popular at the time, in which surrounding scenery was incorporated into its composition. It contains an inner tidal pool, bridges draped with wisteria, moon-viewing pavilions, and teahouses.

Boats depart the garden to make their way along the Sumida River hourly or more frequently between 10:20am and 3:50pm, with the fare to Asakusa costing ¥620 ($5.15). Although much of what you see along the working river today is only concrete embankments, I recommend the trip because it affords a different perspective of Tokyo -- barges making their way down the river and high-rise apartment buildings with laundry fluttering from balconies, warehouses, and superhighways. The boat passes under approximately a dozen bridges during the 40-minute trip, each one completely different. During cherry blossom season, thousands of cherry trees lining the bank make the trip particularly memorable.

Upon your arrival in Asakusa, walk away from the boat pier a couple of blocks inland, where you'll soon see the colorful Kaminarimon Gate on your right. Across the street on your left is the:

2. Asakusa Information Center

Located at 2-18-9 Kaminarimon (tel. 03/3842-5566), the center is open daily from 9:30am to 8pm and is staffed by English-speaking volunteers from 10am to 5pm. Stop here to pick up a map of the area and to ask directions to restaurants and sights. In addition, note the huge Seiko clock on the center's facade -- a music clock that performs every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mechanical dolls re-enact scenes from several of Asakusa's most famous festivals.

Then it's time to head across the street to the:

3. Kaminarimon Gate

The gate is unmistakable with its bright red colors and 220-pound lantern hanging in the middle. The statues inside the gate are of the god of wind to the right and the god of thunder to the left, ready to protect the deity enshrined in the temple. The god of thunder is particularly fearsome -- he has an insatiable appetite for navels.

To the left of the gate, on the corner, is:

4. Tokiwado Kaminari Okoshi

This open-fronted confectionery has been selling rice-based sweets (okoshi) for 250 years and is popular with visiting Japanese buying gifts for the folks back home. It's open daily 9am to 9 p.m.

Once past Kaminarimon gate, you'll find yourself immediately on a pedestrian lane called:

MORE FROM 24-HOUR LAYOVER: TOKYO

24-Hour Layover: Tokyo Section Front

Hooked on Tokyo Frommer's social skills tips for Tokyo A walking tour of Asakusa Dine without spending a fortune Frommer's favorite experiences in Tokyo   Slide show: Japanimated 24-Hour Layover: Tokyo Section Front   Add 24-Hour Layover: Tokyo headlines to your news reader: