Many thanks for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour in Asakusa and Ueno Park on July 2. We welcomed 16 guests from Canada, America, Australia, Sweden and Belgium. It’s hot and humid, but we hope you enjoyed walking with us. As promised, the photos we took during the tour are posted.
Hot days continue despite the ongoing rainy season. Wearing a hat, drinking a lot of water and staying in the shade are recommended to prevent heat stroke. The Sensoji Temple area can offer various cool places, water and tea drinks which are free.
The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is a uniquely shaped tourist information facility of the Taito City just in front of the Kaminarimon gate. Free drinking of Tokyo tap water is available around the side entrance of the building. Japan is one of the few countries where tap water is safe to drink. The water is provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. There seems to be 900 water stations in Tokyo and this is one of them. It’s cold for tap water, perhaps because of the high outside temperature. The tap water actually tastes better than the writer expected. You can refill water as much as you like.
Everyone is freely allowed to enter the building for the tourist information on the ground floor and the observation deck on the 8th floor etc. The building is fully air-conditioned with free WIFI. The 6th floor is a resting area. The room is a stair-like floor where you can rest or have takeout lunch while enjoying the introductory film of the Taito City’s culture and history. Feel free to use it if there is no event. It’s open from 9am to 8pm.
There is a wisteria trellis beside the Hozomon gate at the Sensoji Temple precinct. You can take a cool misty shower and get seated. Spraying water can reduce ambient temperatures by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. There are about 10 benches and refreshing here will give you energy. In addition, free Japanese green tea is available right near the trellis. Cold and hot tea are served with tea servers for free by one of the Japanese green tea producers. They are so popular among tourists, so you may have to line up a little outside the shop.
Sensoji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest temple and one of the most popular destinations for foreign tourists in Tokyo. When the rainy season ends, the real summer will begin. Enjoy your time in Japan while preparing to prevent heat stroke.
Thank you again for joining our tours and we look forward to seeing you on other occasions in the future.
(Yoshi)