Tokyo for First-Timers: Asakusa and Skytree

Who this day is for

This day is for a first or second trip. Stops are well known, easy to reach, workable without Japanese, and take credit cards.

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Breakfast

Breakfast: MISOJYU Asakusa (ミソジュウ浅草本店), a miso soup specialist with organic vegetables and onigiri, at 1-7-5 Asakusa. There is a second MISOJYU in Tokyo Solamachi; breakfast here is the Asakusa shop. It's open 8:00–16:00 daily. The morning menu runs 8:00–10:00. The weekend morning menu is not confirmed. On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays the shop may switch to numbered tickets after 10:00, so go early on a weekend. It takes VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, and Diners, plus e-money and QR payments, and it has an English menu. The morning set is ¥770 (miso soup, one onigiri, half a seasoned egg, and pickles). Regular sets run ¥1,780–1,980.

Route: about 3 minutes from Asakusa Station exit 1 on the G Ginza Line, or about 5 minutes from exit A4 on the A Toei Asakusa Line or from Asakusa Station on the TS Tobu Skytree Line.

Backup: Gusto Asakusa Kaminarimon (ガスト 浅草雷門店), on the 2nd floor of Asakusa Central Hotel at 1-5-3 Asakusa. It's the reliable fallback when MISOJYU Asakusa has a line. It's open daily 7:00–23:30, and the morning buffet runs 7:00–10:30. It takes VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, and UnionPay, plus IC cards and PayPay, and it has an English menu. The buffet is ¥1,100 for adults. Hotel guests eat here too, so arrive near 7:00.

Route: about 5 minutes from Asakusa Station on the G Ginza Line.

Kaminarimon and Nakamise street

Kaminarimon and Nakamise street. Get there before about 9:00 to see the gate and the shopping street before the crowds build. Most shops open around 9:30 to 10:00.

Route: from Asakusa Station (G Ginza Line or A Toei Asakusa Line), take the Kaminarimon exit and walk about 2 minutes.

Senso-ji

Senso-ji. The temple grounds are open all day, and the main hall opens around 6:00. Try the omikuji (paper fortunes) and the incense burner.

Route: walk to the end of Nakamise, about 5 minutes.

Sumida River walk and Tokyo Mizumachi

Tokyo Mizumachi. Cross the Sumida River for the classic photo of the Asahi building, then follow the new riverside walkway under the rail bridge toward Skytree.

Route: about a 20-minute walk along the river. If you'd rather not walk, ride the TS Tobu Skytree Line one stop from Asakusa to Tokyo Skytree Station.

Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree, around sunset. Book a timed ticket online so you see the city in daylight and after dark on the same visit. Get your Toriton queue ticket on Solamachi 6F before you go up (see below).

Route: Tokyo Mizumachi leads straight to the base of the tower.

Getting between stops

1. Kaminarimon to Senso-ji: walk, about 5 minutes.
2. Senso-ji to Asakusa Imahan: walk, about 5 minutes.
3. Asakusa Imahan to Tokyo Mizumachi: walk, about 20 minutes.
4. Tokyo Mizumachi to Tokyo Skytree: walk, about 3 minutes.
5. Tokyo Skytree to Kaiten Sushi Toriton (Tokyo Solamachi 6F): on Solamachi 6F.

Lunch

Lunch: Asakusa Imahan (sukiyaki). Imahan is a sit-down sukiyaki classic. It's walk-in only, has an English menu and takes cards. Lunch runs roughly ¥4,000–5,000 per person.

Route: about 5 minutes' walk from Senso-ji.

Dinner

Dinner: Kaiten Sushi Toriton (Tokyo Solamachi 6F). Toriton is a conveyor-belt sushi spot in the mall at the base of the tower. It feels more local than the big chains. It takes cards, IC cards and QR payments, and you order on a tablet with a foreign-language menu. It's open daily 11:00–22:00, with last order at 21:30, and dinner usually runs ¥3,000–5,000 per person. It doesn't take reservations, so join the queue as soon as you reach Solamachi, then go up Skytree while you wait.

How the queue works

1. Use the ticket tablet on the left of the entrance. It's in Japanese only, so point the Google Translate camera at the screen to read the buttons. Download Japanese for offline use before your trip. Enter your party size, and pick counter or table if it asks. Tables go first to groups of three or more.
2. Your ticket shows your number, a QR code and an estimated wait.
3. Scan the QR code with your phone and link it to LINE. You can then follow the queue from anywhere, and LINE messages you when it's almost your turn. The queue page and the messages are in Japanese. To read them, take a screenshot and open it with LINE's Text scan, or use your phone's photo translation, like Live Text on iPhone or Google Lens. Before your trip, install LINE and set up an account. It needs a phone number for a text code, which is easier at home. Called numbers also show on a screen outside the shop, so keep your paper ticket handy.
4. Head back once you're called. If you don't return within 60 minutes, your ticket is cancelled.

Tickets start at 11:00 and are for the same day only. On busy days they can run out by late afternoon, so for a weekend dinner, get yours early. Seating is limited to 80 minutes. Toriton seems to close when Solamachi does, so check before you go. If the wait is too long, the rest of the Solamachi restaurant floors have lots of choice, English-friendly menus and cards widely accepted.

Getting back: Oshiage Station, on the Z Hanzomon Line, A Toei Asakusa Line and KS Keisei Oshiage Line, is right underneath.

Sources

• Sensō-ji. Temple visitor information for the Asakusa itinerary.
• Tokyo Skytree. Observation-deck visits and ticket planning.