Asakusa is an area enjoying overwhelming popularity from visitors worldwide. The area gives us a good example of Shitamachi, eastern downtown near Tokyo Bay. There is following facous red gate “Kaminari-mon” (Thunder Gate) and Asakusa temple “Senso-ji”.

Top photo is a scene of New Year festival of Asakusa temple. There are so many small and good traditional stores around approach. Especially, 1-3 of January is very crowded for new year visit.

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In Asakusa,  there is an interesting traditional restaurant “Asakusa Bell”. You can eat “Tokyo SkyTree Omelet-Rice” (photo below). Also, in this building, you can see the legend of Japanese TV Talents ! In Asakusa, you can have pleasant experience of good old days of Japan.

If you walk to Sumida river side, you can ride on River Cruise ship “Himiko” (or Hotaruna). It seems like a space ship of SF. It takes 50 minutes and 1,560 yen from Asakusa to Odaiba, Tokyo bayside area.

Around Asakusa ship port, you can see “Tokyo Sky Tree” and buildings of Asahi Beer.

In this river cruise, you can see overview of Tokyo from river side. Center of following photo is, “Tokyo Tower”.

At the end of this cruise, ship approaches to Raibow Bridge. It is most famous and big bridge in Tokyo.

Ship goes through under Rainbow Bridge. It is amazing sight !

At last, ship arrives Odaiba.  Odaiba means base place of cannon. It is created to attack Perry when he came to Japan in 1854, in the period of national isolation.