Asakusa
One Saturday I took the trains to Ueno station and walked east through the Asakusa neighborhood. I had heard that there would be a big Taiko drumming festival. I never did find the festival, but I did get a chance to view some of the most popular traditional Japanese tourist areas. While these are tourist areas, there's hardly any western tourists. I probably saw 20 European or American faces all day.
Asakusa is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tokyo. It is filled with traditional shops and only a few global chain stores. The streets are crowded on this Saturday in late April with shoppers. Some of the streets are covered by atrium glass, giving shelter from today's drizzle.
As you get close to the Senso-ji Temple at Asakusa you get a glimpse of the five story pagoda. This pagoda is in an area of a park that wasn't open today.
As we walk to the Senso-ji Temple area from the south, the streets are lined with shops selling tourist items aimed at Japanese tourists from the countryside visiting one of the big shrines in Tokyo. This traditional visit to Senso-ji has supposedly been going on since the temple's founding in the seventh century. In the 19th century, the money brought by tourists made Asakusa (then called Edo Tokyo) one of the most prosperous areas in Japan. Half a block past the end of the line of shops is a glimpse of one of the most famous gates in Japan: the Kaminari-mon or "Thunder Gate".
Seen from about a block away the Kaminari-mon is massive and powerful. Paper lanterns line the approach giving a delicate counterpoint.
Walking through the gate we see the Senso-ji temple. Legend has it that it was founded in 628 by two fishermen brothers who caught a statue of Kannon, the Buddhist god of mercy, in their net.
In front of the temple is an incense urn. People stand around it and waft the smoke over their head, rubbing it into their hair and skin.
At the steps of the Temple people come to have pictures taken. Although I'm not sure, I suspect that this may have been part of a wedding party. They were all smiles a moment before this, posing for a formal portrait. I hope their expressions now aren't an indicator of what is to come.
To the west of the temple is a peaceful garden area.
The greenery and ancient tablets lend an air of serenity.
But just a half a block away the garish city streets begin again.
I walked back to Ueno station as dusk began to fall and then went two stops south to the electronics shopping district: Akihabara. There is a tradition in Tokyo of shops selling the same type of merchandise grouping together. I've found areas with block after block of nothing but small identical Buddhist shrines, a three block area with nothing but motorcycle shops. And of course there is Akihabara. About 5 blocks by 5 blocks by 5 stories of nothing but electronics. Consumer electronics, kits, parts, computers, cameras... People call it "Electric Town".
A short walk south west of Akihabara is the Ochanomizu area. Nothing but guitars and string instruments for blocks.
Shop after shop with the virtually the same inventory. It's good for the consumer, of course. You want a guitar? You know where to go to compare prices.
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