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An Asakusa Walk from Kaminarimon to the Sumida River

A couple trying on kimono in an Asakusa shop, one dark and one with a purple floral pattern.

Trying on kimono in an Asakusa shop. Japan BTO

Start under the big red lantern at Kaminarimon, a short walk from Asakusa Station. Nakamise leads straight to Sensō-ji Temple. When it fills up, I like to take the shopping arcades instead. You can browse for a kimono, rejoin the temple approach and, if the weather holds, finish the walk by the river.

Take a look down Nakamise

Walk through the gate and you’ll see a row of small shops on either side of the street leading to the next temple gate. This is Nakamise. If there’s room to browse, take your time. For a detour, look for the covered arcade that crosses Nakamise at a right angle. That’s Shin-Nakamise. Kannon-dōri meets it on the station side.

The Fox’s Tip

When Nakamise is packed, I prefer Kannon-dōri and Shin-Nakamise. The shops feel a little less touristy to me, and on a rainy day you can fold your umbrella and browse under cover.

If a kimono catches your eye, try the secondhand racks at Tansuya on Shin-Nakamise. Depending on the piece, buying the kimono itself can cost less than a day’s rental, and you get to take it home. If you’d like help dressing and the sash and accessories to go with it, check what’s included in a rental.

Tansuya’s sign on the left beneath the glass roof of Shin-Nakamise.
Look for the たんす屋 sign on the left. That’s Tansuya, inside the Shin-Nakamise arcade.

Walk through Sensō-ji to Nitenmon Gate

Rejoin the temple approach, walk through Hōzōmon Gate and continue to the main hall. Coming back down the steps, turn left towards Nitenmon, the red gate on the east side. One of our guests stopped here with her umbrella. Look closely at her cream kimono and you can see a pattern of little folding fans and the embroidered flowers on her obi, the wide sash.

Two views of a guest with an umbrella at Nitenmon, wearing a cream fan-patterned kimono and floral obi.
At Nitenmon Gate, a full-length view of the kimono and a closer look at the obi.

Finish on the Asakusa riverbank

From Nitenmon, head east until you reach the Sumida. Turn right on the Asakusa bank and follow the water towards the red Azuma-bashi Bridge. Tokyo Skytree rises across the river and Asakusa Station is close to the bridge. If the rain sets in, finish at the temple and head back towards the station through the shopping arcades.

Tokyo Skytree and bridges over the Sumida River seen from the Asakusa bank.
The view from the Asakusa bank, with Tokyo Skytree above the river bridges.

If you’d like company on this walk, our private Tokyo day tour includes meeting your guide on foot at your hotel in the central areas we cover. We confirm the meeting point using your hotel’s address.