Thank you for joining the Tokyo Free Walking Tour of Asakusa and Ueno Park, and for regularly checking this website. On June 9th, we welcomed around 25 guests from the USA, Australia,Germany, Spain, Israel, and Japan.
With, a slightly cloudy but mostly sunny day, we started the 90-minutes Asakusa tours at around 10:00 am and 1:30 pm.
Along with our typical tour route, we visited several spots in this historical town and concluded at Asakusa Shinto Shrine. During the 90-minute stroll, we showcased some of the majestic Buddhist buildings and provided hands-on experiences.
These included touching lucky charms, participating in purification rituals, and trying fortune-telling paper. We hope these experiences will be memorable for you.
Almost at the same time as our Asakusa afternoon tour, our guide met expectant guests in front of the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and the National Museum of Western Art.
These institutions serve as a cultural gateway to Ueno Park, which is often referred to as “the Village of Culture”.
Starting from these cultural landmarks, we had the 90-minute guided tour.”
In the midst of the huge green area, hydrangeas are appearing and attracting many park-goers. These adorable flowers are a type of seasonal flower, especially blooming during the rainy season. Despite the cloudy and humid weather, their vivid colors attract our attention.
When discussing dietary experiences with our guests, ramen is one of the most ideal dishes. Our previous blog also introduced the distinctive Japanese noodles. Nowadays, Japanese ramen has become international. There are roughly mote than 30,000 ramen shops nationwide. These shops commonly offer pork, miso, and soy sauce-based broths of ramen.
In addition, some regions in Japan have highlighted their specialties by incorporating local produce and cooking techniques. These regional variations are reflected in the quality of the soup, noodles, and toppings.
However, the pandemic and the demands of heavy workloads have led the highly popular noodles to another development. More and more ramen vending machines are appearing in some parts of Japan.
These convenient options can be seen on busy streets and even in train stations. For example, Ueno bullet train station has set up the distinctive noodle servers and eating spaces for those who want to enjoy a quick meal before their departure.
(by Arac)