Asakusa & Sumida River

Tokyo's eastern neighborhoods, on the banks of the Sumida-gawa, have an old-Tokyo (shitamachi) feel, with venerable temples and shrines, lovely gardens, traditional restaurants and artisan shops. Zone in on Asakusa's atmospheric Buddhist temple complex Sensō-ji and the sumo hot spot of Ryōgoku, home to the ancient sport's Tokyo stadium and a top-class history museum.

Explore Asakusa & Sumida River

Sensō-ji
Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of…
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Fukagawa Fudō-dō
Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)…
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree opened in May 2012 as the world’s tallest ‘free-standing tower’ at 634m. Its silvery exterior of steel mesh morphs from a triangle at the…
Sumida Hokusai Museum
The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium…
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Tomioka Hachiman-gū
Founded in 1627, this shrine is famous as the birthplace of the sumo tournament. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna (sumo grand…
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Amuse Museum
The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…
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Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)
For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…
K
Kaminari-mon
The Sensō-ji temple precinct begins at this majestic gate, from which hangs an enormous chōchin (lantern); look under this to see a beautiful carved…

Sensō-ji
Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of…
F
Fukagawa Fudō-dō
Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)…
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree opened in May 2012 as the world’s tallest ‘free-standing tower’ at 634m. Its silvery exterior of steel mesh morphs from a triangle at the…
Sumida Hokusai Museum
The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium…
T
Tomioka Hachiman-gū
Founded in 1627, this shrine is famous as the birthplace of the sumo tournament. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna (sumo grand…
A
Amuse Museum
The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…
M
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)
For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…
K
Kaminari-mon
The Sensō-ji temple precinct begins at this majestic gate, from which hangs an enormous chōchin (lantern); look under this to see a beautiful carved…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Asakusa & Sumida River.

See
Sensō-ji
Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…
See
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of…
See
Fukagawa Fudō-dō
Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)…
See
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree opened in May 2012 as the world’s tallest ‘free-standing tower’ at 634m. Its silvery exterior of steel mesh morphs from a triangle at the…
See
Sumida Hokusai Museum
The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium…
See
Tomioka Hachiman-gū
Founded in 1627, this shrine is famous as the birthplace of the sumo tournament. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna (sumo grand…
See
Amuse Museum
The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…
See
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)
For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…
See
Kaminari-mon
The Sensō-ji temple precinct begins at this majestic gate, from which hangs an enormous chōchin (lantern); look under this to see a beautiful carved…

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Asakusa & Sumida River with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.