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Asakusa

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The origin of Sensoji Temple, Asakusa tour on March 27

  • 2024.03.27

Thank you so much for joining our tour in Asakusa on March 27. We welcomed as many as 26 people from Canada, America, Argentina, Germany, Israel and Australia. It was a nice spring weather. Anticipated Cherry blossoms haven’t started to flower yet at the Sensoji Temple grounds. Perhaps, the unusual weather conditions may have delayed cherry blossoms. Temperatures are expected to rise for the next days and cherry blossoms will bloom very soon. The Nakamise Shopping Street was very crowded with people. The photos which we took during the tour were posted. Happy 90th birthday to Elizabeth! Turning 90 is incredible milestone. We hope you have a lovely time and enjoy cherry blossoms in Japan. Komagatado Hall is the birthplace of Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. It’s a small vermillion temple located four minute-walk straight to the south of Kaminarimon gate (opposite direction of the Main Hall) beside the Sumida River. Sometimes, you may skip small temples or shrines and regret later,’ I should have visited the place’. It isn’t famous and crowded like the Nakamise or the Main Hall as everyone wants to visit, but this is exactly the place to visit. The principal image(Goddess of Mercy) of Sensoji Temple […]

Sakura season: Asakusa and Ueno Park Tour on March 24, 2024

  • 2024.03.24

Many thanks for joining our tours at Asakusa and Ueno Park on March 24, 2024. We welcomed 52 guests from the US, Canada, Italy, Australia, Spain, India, Turkey, UK, France, Ireland, Argentina, and, Germany. It was a tremendous opportunity for us to meet wonderful guests from many countries and share interesting conversations. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached so that you can remember the fun times we had during the tour. <Asakusa> Cherry blossom season is coming, and many tourists are visiting Asakusa. We divided our guests into several small groups. This is because Nakamise Street, which leads to Sensoji Temple, is very crowded and it is difficult to guide a large number of guests. TFWT’s biggest feature is that we tour in small groups like this, and our top priority is to ensure that our guests have fun. <Ueno Park> Ueno Park has over 50 varieties of cherry trees. 80% of them are Somei Yoshino trees. Cherry blossoms often fall about a week after full bloom. Traditionally, the best time in Ueno Park was from late March to early April, but recently it is getting earlier each year due to climate change. During the Edo period, Ueno […]

Coming soon! Golden Dragon Dance at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa! Tour Report of Asakusa and Ueno Park on March 10,2024

  • 2024.03.11

Thank you for choosing our tour at Asakusa and Ueno Park on March 10. We welcomed 34 people from USA, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Netherland, Israel, UK, Germany, South Korea and Russia. I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.      We would like to let you know about one of the annual events of Sensoji Temple. The Golden dragon dance will be performed in the precinct of Sensoji Temple on March 18. The Golden dragon dance is performed three times at 11:30 am, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Kannon Bodhisattva, the principal image of Sensoji Temple, appeared on March 18 in the year of 628. It is said that golden dragon descended from the sky to the earth on that day. “Ennichi” is held on the 18th of each month. “Ennichi” is important day for Sensoji Temple. The Golden dragon used for the dance is 18 meters long and 88 kilograms weight and is manipulated as if it can move by 8 people. These 8 numbers come from the 18th day. The main hall of Sensoji […]

Enjoy kinomo experience tour in Asakusa on February 28th

  • 2024.03.01

Thank you so much for joining our tours at Asakusa in the morning on Feb 28th. We welcomed 16 guests in total from America, Australia, Spain, Brazil, Ireland, Holland and Canada. We hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had. In recent days we often see many foreign women wearing Japanese kimono and enjoy taking a photo in front of Sensoji temple or Asakusa shrine. In former days we saw some foreign women wearing Japanese kimono, but not so many. The increase of experience tour seems to be one of reasons. And also the increace of rental shop is one of reasons, too. Today those rental shops prepare various kinds of kimonos, accessaries (bags, hair ornaments ,etc.), zori sandals and they have staff for hair set, dressing. And visitors can experience kinomo with affordable price. Since former days foreigners have been interesting in a Japanese traditional kinomo. There were many foreigners who wanted to feel Japanese people’s delicacy . But in those days foreign visitors couldn’t easily experience kimono, because in those days in Japan renatal kimono service didn’t […]

Perfect weather for walking tour in National Foundation Day: Tour report of Asakusa and Ueno Park on Feb. 11th

Thank you so much for joining our tours at Asakusa in the morning and Ueno Park in the afternoon on Feb 11h. We welcomed 15 guests in total from Australia, China, USA, Korea, Canada and UK. We hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had. (Asaksa AM) (Ueno Park) (Asakusa PM) It was a perfect day for a tour where we could feel a little bit of spring sunshine. There seemed to be more Chinese tourists than usual in the precincts of Sensoji Temple, probably because of the Lunar New Year holidays.Japan switched from a solar-lunar calendar to a solar calendar in 1872, and now there are almost no customs of celebrating the Lunar New Year.This day, February 11th, was National Foundation Day. The national flags were also hoisted at Nakamise-Shopping Street. According to legend, this is the day when the first emperor ascended the throne in 660 BC. This day falls on January 1st of the solar-lunar calendar and February 11th of the new calendar, so this day is considered the National Foundation Day. I think it can […]

Explore the origin of an offertory box. The tour report of January 31st.

  • 2024.01.31

Thank you for joining our tour in Asakusa on January 31st. We welcomed 7 people from America, Australia and Philippines. It was sunny and unusually warm as if it’s April. There was a plum tree blossoming beside Hozomon Gate which has the delicate flavor of the plum. Plum blossoms tell us the arrival of spring. Cold season will continue awhile but we feel that spring is just around the corner. As reported in our last blog, preparation to build a stage for bean throwing ritual in the Setsubun Festival on February 3rd is underway. Various photos are posted.   There are certain differences between Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, but they always have something in common. Do you know what they are? One of them is an offertory box. You might have made a donation. This box is to receive money while people pray to make a wish or give thanks for the wish which has come true. Shinto originally had a ritual called ‘Sanmai散米’ meaning scattering rice and precious rice wrapped in paper was offered by visitors to the Shinto gods.  About 800 years ago during the Kamakura period(1185-1333) when money was put into circulation, money was offered to […]

Enjoy Annual Setsubun event at Sensoji Temple on February 3rd.(The tour report on January 28th)

  • 2024.01.29

Thank you very much for your participation in our tour at Asakusa and Ueno Park on January 28th. We welcomed 9 people from Austria, Taiwan, China and Philippines. The weather was cloudy and a little cold, but made us feel that spring would not be far away. As mentioned, various photos are posted. February 3rd is the annual event called a Setsubun festival throughout the country. Setsubun literally translates to the seasonal division and is the day before the start of new spring, just like New Year’s Eve in the traditional calendar. On the Setsubun day, the most commonly performed ritual is the throwing of beans. At home, families scatter beans with shouting ‘Demons out! Happiness in!’ By throwing beans, people ward off demons and draw in good fortune. After throwing beans, we eat the same number of beans as our age praying for good luck for the year. Also, people eat an entire  long sushi roll called ehomaki in silence while facing the year’s lucky direction (east-northeast in 2024) to bring good fortune. A convenience store offers a delicious ehomaki. On that day, temples and shrines hold Setsubun festivals. Among them, the Sensoji’s event is historic and popular. It’s […]

Looking for Heart shape in Shrines and Temples is fun! Tour Report of Asakusa and Ueno Park on January 14, 2024

  • 2024.01.15

Thank you for choosing our tour at Asakusa and Ueno Park on January 14. We welcomed 13 people from U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Philippines, Malasia and Japan. I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.    By the way, when you visit shrines or temples, you may see the shape of heart on the metal fittings etc. of shrines or temples buildings. Heart shape is generally used as the symbol of heart, mind or spirit and so on. In addition, it is also known that the shape of the heart is used as a pattern called “INOME” since ancient times in Japan. For example, it is known that a heart shape was used for the sword guard in the 6th century. The heart shape has been used long before Japan came into contact with Western culture. “INOME” means boar’s eye. The eyes of the wild boar look like the shape of a heart. Literally “INOME” is named after the shape of boar’s eye.  For example, as the picture shown below, you can see heart shape on the metal […]

Merry Christmas!! Tour Report of Asakusa and Ueno Park on December 24, 2023

  • 2023.12.24

Many thanks for joining our tours at Asakusa and Ueno Park on December 24, 2023. We welcomed 15 guests from the US, Portugal, India, Malaysia, and Turkey. It was a tremendous opportunity for us to meet wonderful guests from many countries and share interesting conversations. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached so that you can remember the fun times we had during the tour. <Asakusa> It was a really cold but typical Japanese winter, with a maximum temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius. There were reports on TV news of frozen road surfaces and a car slipping, but despite that, we enjoyed heartwarming conversations with our guests. This tour was the final one of Tokyo Free Walking Tour in 2023. While it’s common to enjoy turkey on Christmas Day in Western countries, it’s intriguing why there are long lines at KFC in Japan during Christmas. It’s rumored that sales on December 24 are 10 times higher than the yearly average. KFC, the American fried chicken chain, made its debut in Japan in 1970 and reportedly initiated its Christmas campaign. A foreign visitor, finding no turkey available on Christmas in Tokyo, remarked, “I’ll celebrate Christmas with Kentucky’s fried chicken […]

Once-a-Year display : Replica of the Goddess of Mercy on December 13th. 

  • 2023.12.14

Many thanks for joining our tour in Asakusa on December 13th. We welcomed 19 people from Singapore, America, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, UK and Spain. The weather was great in our favor in the beginning of winter. The Nakamise Shopping Street was lively and bustling as usual. We hope you enjoyed the walking tour with us. As mentioned, group and snap photos are posted. As mentioned during the tour, Sensoji Temple houses the statues of the Goddess of Mercy and its replica at its main hall. The Goddess is a hidden statue but its replica is shown to the public only on December 13th when we had a tour. According to the Sensoji legend, the temple was established in the year of 628 when the Goddess was discovered in the river. As soon as the Buddha statue was found, it was decided that the statue must be kept hidden from the public and has never been revealed with an exception. The rule is still effective until today. Because people missed to visit the temple without an object, a worship replica was carved a high-ranking priest in the early Heian Period (794-1185). It’s not just a copy but represents the Goddess of […]

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