Begin along the Sumida River, where the story of Japan’s isolation and opening to the world comes alive. Learn why the Edo shogunate sealed the country for over 200 years, why the Netherlands alone was permitted to trade, and how Admiral Perry’s arrival forced Japan to reopen. The guide connects this past to modern Tokyo—right down to Odaiba’s former gun batteries and today’s Statue of Liberty replica facing the Pacific.
Get a clear introduction to Japan’s two major religions, Buddhism and Shinto, setting the foundation for everything you’ll see ahead.
At Asakusa’s iconic gate, explore the fascinating contrast between Japanese and Western dragons—and learn why the Japanese dragon plays exactly an opposite role from the Western one.
Stroll through one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets while learning about Buddhist symbols like the vajra (tokko) and the world-changing impact of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Discover how these prints unexpectedly reached Europe—and inspired Western Impressionist painters.
Here, your guide reveals a surprising truth: people in Japan and the West shared remarkably similar ways of thinking 1,000 years ago.
Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple offers another striking comparison between medieval Japan and Europe, along with a clear explanation of how prayer differs in Buddhism and Shinto.
To those familiar with religions, it is unfathomable that Busshist temple and shinto shrine coexist on the same premises and share both their origins and worshipers. In that sense, Asakusa shrine is not just another shinto shrine in Japan. The guide will tell you why and you will find how these two religions are ingrained in life of the ordinary Japanese.
While the Yōgōdō Hall houses the “Twelve Zodiac Guardian Deities,” it’s the only place at Sensō-ji where you can receive a goshuin. A goshuin is a sacred temple seal, hand-written in beautiful calligraphy by a monk or temple staff member.
Compared with the busy souvenir stalls of Nakamise Street, this small shopping street offers a quieter, nostalgic atmosphere. Enjoy the respite away from the bustling Nakamise.
While Sensō-ji represents spiritual Asakusa, this area represents its entertainment culture. Before Shinjuku or Shibuya became famous, this was the place to come for modern entertainment.
While Sensō-ji represents spiritual Asakusa, Hoppy Street shows us its working-class soul. This narrow lane is famous for old-style Japanese pubs where people sit at small outdoor tables, eat grilled skewers, and drink from early afternoon, embodying a symbol of postwar recovery and working-class resilience.
While Sensō-ji represents sacred Asakusa, this area is known for laughter and entertainment. Feel the atmosphere of the city’s most exciting place in the early 20th century, a hub of modern culture: cinemas, comedians, variety shows, and popular theater.
Feel like stepping into an old movie set of Edo-period Japan. The wooden-style facades and traditional decorations are designed to recreate the atmosphere of commoners' quarters in the Edo-period.
A wonderful overview of Asakusa with our excellent guide, Yasu. Informative and helpful, he showed us numerous points of interest, answering our questions throughout. It was a fascinating afternoon, at the end of which we felt we had a much greater insight into this interesting part of Tokyo.
Yasu, our tour guide was great. He was very attentive and knowledgeable about the history of Asakusa. It was a great experience. After the tour, he recommended a place to eat that is mostly visit by locals. He talked to the people at the restaurant so they can get our order just right. It was very helpful. The food was great!
Excellent and very knowledgeable. We gained insight into the history and culture of Japan that we would have never discovered on our own. Highly recommend.
Yasu was a friendly and informative guide. We greatly enjoyed his company and he made the experience very pleasant. We learned a lot about the early history of the Asakusa district and the Sensoji temple.
Machiko was absolutely wonderful! So knowledgeable. My husband got sick about halfway through the tour - due to the heat and jet lag. Machiko was so kind, taking care of all of us. She cleaned up after him and bought all of us shaved ices to help cool down. We had to stop early to get him back to the hotel. Despite telling her we would be ok getting an Uber, she went with us ensuring we were safely on our way. What a kind and wonderful woman!! Highly recommend.
Machiko was our guide and she was WONDERFUL! She provided us with so much information and history of the area. She was so sweet & friendly. The best tour guide ever. Highly recommend the Asakusa history tour with her while visiting Tokyo! It is a can't miss activity.
My parents, wife and I had a fantastic experience with Junchan! She walked us all over asakusa, the shrines and shopping areas, explaining the history and significance of the places we visited. She also took us to multiple places where we tried japanese snacks! We enjoyed and recommend this tour to all those who have 3.5 hours to spend in asakusa.
Miz was a very knowlgable and friendly guide who shared the history and cultue of Asakusa fabulously. We learnt much that we would not have found on our own. Thoroughly recommend this tour.
Amino was a very good and informative guide. We had the privilege of having a private tour and she took us to many special places. Excellent experience for sure!!
Quite a Fun Evening Tour. Guid was Nice and had enough information for the Attractions. Food Places were Nice and Delicious.
The Asakusa: 1400-year history exploration tour was fantastic! Our guide, Amy, was wonderful. This three (3) hour tour blended history, current customs, and the experience of the Senso-ji Temple well. Amy was part of our family by the tour’s end. Highly recommend.
AMAZING.. PAT was our tour guide his english was really good so we didn't have any problems understanding his explaniations. He dicusses the differences betweer Shinto and Buddist. pointed out the highlights of the Asakusa. totally enjoyed the day.
The Tour Guide, Sachi, explained the history of Asakusa very well, fun facts about the Tokyo Skytree, and she even gave us some tips and good places for shopping! Thank you so much, Sachi!
Fabulously instructive tour of past Japan. Visited temples and unusual locations we would never have found on our own
I had an amazing time in Tokyo! The food, architecture, and especially the people were absolutely amazing. All of this was made possible by the fact that I had the best guide in Tokyo, named Machiko. She was the ultimate professional and was very knowledgeable about all aspects of Tokyo’s history. Machiko took her time to show me all the major historical highlights of Tokyo and answer my questions thoroughly. In addition, I was provided with water and snacks throughout my tour, so that I was always hydrated and full. Thank you so much Machiko!
Kay did an amazing job both showing us the sites and also explaining the history and the religion of the area making all so much more interesting. She was also a huge help at the knife shops.
The Asakusa tour was wonderful!! First, it was private, and my wife and I had the Guide’s full attention. She was warm and attentive!! Next, it was priceless. Along with the marvelous historical sights, we sat briefly in a coffee cafe in Tokyo and interacted with “four lovely Japanese girls dressed in kimonos”. Guess who translated for us?!? Our Guide was Shizuoka “Sue” Nishizawa. Thanks Shizuoka!!
Kay was amazing. She was very knowledgeable, accommodating and such a sweet guide. She showed how to pray in the temple which we really enjoyed. We would definitely use her service again when we retune to Tokyo. You will not be disappointed.
Great tour great guide yomashita junko Jun-chan was incredible she explained the history of asakusa in an interesting way and showed us some hidden gems in the market
This was a fabulous tour, we learned so much. We are traveling with 3 teenagers and they loved it too. Later one said “there is so much history, I want to learn more”.
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour! Akiko provided us with a great history of the temple and shrines we visited. It was really nice to see them at night. An extra treat was dinner and music at Kazunoya Oiwake! The musicians were energetic, the music was fantastic, and the food was delicious!
Emiko was our tour guide and she was wonderful. She was very friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable. She felt more like a friend you're visiting giving a you tour than a tour guide. She truly made the experience great.
The tour was amazing cultural event. The small group allowed multiple questions t o be asked and answered
Sachi was punctual friendly patient and knowledgeable. Made the tour enjoyable. Answer our questions and explained in details. Would recommend this tour and the tour guide. Thanks Sachi
Our guide was excellent she was very knowledgeable. We learnt so much about the history of the area, thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
We had a great time touring Asakusa and getting to know some of its history! Taka was so kind and knowledgeable, and he recommended an amazing place for dinner nearby. I would definitely recommend this for anyone.
This walking tour is a great idea for an immersive Tokyo experience. It’s well paced and suitable for people of all ages.
Amazing tour with most amazing and full of knowledge guide, Sachiko. Her knowledge and way of presenting add so much to this already amazing tour. Fluent English has made it easy for us to catch up. Overall this is a must do tour because you learn so much about the culture and history of Japan
We had a great time learning all about Asakusa! Our tour guide Sachi was amazing, kind, and knowledgeable. The best part was sampling sweets and getting our fortunes at Senso-ji!
This tour was just lovely, informative and definitely worth it! Choco, the guide, showed us around the area always providing interesting facts and historical knowledge and was also always open to answer questions. She also knew the best spots to take photos and it really felt like a friend/local shows you around in town. Thank you very much for the experience!
Sacchi was a lovely kind and considerate guide. Her English and knowledge was great! We covered everything we wanted to see and extra. Ending with a lovely cup of tea from Sachi.
We had a great time with our tour guide Junko Chan, very fun and informative. We went to temples, eat traditional Japanese snacks and were able to appreciate the culture and heritage of Tokyo Japan
We had a great guide in Taka who led this informative and fun tour of Asakusa. It was fascinating to understand the history of this very old historical region. I highly recommend you put this tour on your top 3 things to do in Tokyo. Thanks again Taka !!
While our guide was very nice and tried hard we were just very underwhelmed with the tour . Much of the time was spent walking down a series of stalls selling touristy stuff to tourists . Not really our thing but perhaps I didn’t know what I signed up for . The temple was interesting and Yuko was very knowledgeable and helpful but it was all a bit underwhelming. I give her 4 stars but the tour wasn’t exciting.
Our tour guide, Keiko, did a fantastic job showing us Asakusa, explaining the history behind, and stopping occasionally for us to ask questions and do shopping. She is very knowledgeable and a great person to tour Asakusa with. She went into great depth behind the history of Asakusa and all of its famous landmarks, as we as the popular attractions for both tourists and locals. We ended the tour with a visit up to the Skytree which she also accompanied us and pointed out various landmarks all across Tokyo for us to visit. Throughout the tour, she always offered to take pictures and ask us if we have any questions. One of the best tours we've had in Japan and we would love to tour with her again.
We had a lovely morning with Yoko around the temple and shrine and then to the knife store. Yoko’s knowledge of the area and history was impressive and we learnt a lot
Yuka was really amazing and explained everything to us so well, really enjoyed the whole experience and got a taste for the culture there.
Yaku was very adorable and Nice guide ! Such a wonderful afternoon in visit asakusa ! Thank you a lot for the professionalism !
Our Asakusa tour with Aki was an excellent experience! She is extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture of the Asakusa region including the Senso-Ji temple. It was an extremely hot and humid day, but Aki made sure we had enough stops in shaded areas and places with air and A/C. She is very courteous, patient and flexible. Her English and communication style are one of the best we have experienced in Japan. We would strongly recommend her to any English speaking tourists.
Amazing tour! Taka was an incredible tour leader, very educational and friendly. Taka spoke really good English - for those looking for an English tour!
Our guide Sachi san is very knowledgeable and profesional. She explain detailly the history of Asakusa. Thank you Sachi san
We had a tour with Sachi. Sachi was so kind and patient as we navigated the heat and crowd. She was knowledgeable and thorough with her history of the Senso-ji Temple. I really enjoyed her company.
Asakusa private guided tour with Sachi was an excellent way to explore this culturally rich area of Tokyo. Sachi was a knowledgeable guide that brought the areas history and culture to life, making the experience both educational and enjoyable for teenagers and adults alike. Sachi weaved legends associated with Asakusa, such as the story of the Senso-ji temple’s founding and mythical figures. This Storytelling approach keep our teenagers engaged and makes history more memorable.
Absolutely loved this tour of the temples and shrines of Asakusa, and our guide was an absolutely lovely lady who happily answered our endless questions and narrated our tour in her own inimitable, effervescent style! Highly recommend this as a way to see the area and learn the history of not just the area but Buddhism and Shintoism as well
My son told me about the tour, so when we got there it was only the 2 of us. Private tour... wonderful, and it got to be the best, Mr Taka was an excellent tour guide, so knowledgeable and patient, even if we were more people, I will recommend him always... we left knowing so much more about wonderful Japan... thanks
Yasu is an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Japan. My wife and I enjoyed the tour very much. We give him our highest rating.
We spent a very pleasant and informative afternoon touring the Asakusa area with our guide Sachi. She provided us with just the right amount of historical background and folklore, all in a conversational manner. We toured areas of the Senso-ji complex that we probably would not have seen on our own. We drew our fortune (on a small piece of paper) at the omikuji counter and received good results! We ended our tour with an excellent cup of matcha tea. Thank you Sachi!
Met Yasu and he was friendly and very interesting to talk to. A long 3.5hr tour (wear comfy shoes, a hat and bring plenty to drink) but very interesting non the less. Learned a lot of local history and was able to sample some local cuisine. Yasu was a gentleman and I’d recommend this tour highly.
We enjoyed an extensive and detailed tour of the Asakusa area of Tokyo with Yasu. It was an absolute pleasure walking the streets, experiencing thw food and learning more about the history and culture of Japan.
Very well done despite the rain. Informative and just slightly too long. Guide was very good! He did not push anyone to buy things at the chosen food sites.
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