Asakusa

Tokyo offers so many options for entertainment and experiences that range from finding that perfect ramen spot or toy capsule stores to cultural and historical places that record and represent Japanese history and culture. As someone who has traveled to Tokyo many times, I always come back to Asakusa and the crowds of humanity that populate this wonderful place. So many travelogues and testimonies online suggest that travelers or visitors avoid these places with their mass of humanity squeezed into a relatively small place. I’m here to say that it is in those moments of what appear to be pandemonium you’ll find a kind of piece of shared experience and joy in the congestion of people.

Sure it would be nice to take that glamor shot of Senso-ji without the crowds and what would be the purpose? My suggestion to you, as you read these pages, is to see that the whole point of these places is to gather people together in shared awareness of the spaces around you. To rejoice, in a way, in the ways in which we really do want to be together.

So on this particular Thursday, we wandered all over the streets of Asakusa, sampling the wares, walking the steps into the temple, and listening the recitation of the Heart Sutra in the hall of Senso-ji. Our day was not without some hilarious moments and missed communications AND we reveled in the place and our time in it.

We started the day at a Starbucks (because, well, Starbucks! Duh.) and gathered, briefly, for instructions. As the hapeless guide, I offered some words of history and culture, and then the group went into the corners of the temple complex. Once we made it to the temple, the sounds of the Heart Sutra, sung out by monks in the shrine room, echoed across the open areas and the music wafted on the tails of smoke sent up by the huge incense caldron in the middle of the grounds. It was a wondrous experience seeing it all.

Your intrepid chaperones, Tom and Sutherland, were approached by a group of Japanese students asking questions about where we were from and what we were doing here. Their giddy laughter and bright faces are such a joy to behold and we did the best to respond meaningfully. Their shock at hearing we were teachers was priceless.

I sent the students on a hunt for the elusive Inari/Kitsune that dwell around the grounds of the temple. These statues of foxes represent so many things in traditional Shinto faith, and finding these creatures is a bit of a chore. Students spread across the temple grounds, searching. They came back with pictures of lions and that they scoured the area was my real goal in the whole thing; that they explore the area with eyes open.

As we made our way through Senso-ji, we split into smaller groups, most following their fancy as it led them to places like a knife shop, or a toy store, or a place that served Takoyaki, a small round ball of wheat and octopus, cooked and eaten with a special sauce.

My last thought about this day was our near sprint to the Skytree Tower to meet our 7:00PM reservation. We ate together in Asakusa at Sushi-do, a conveyor belt sushi place. These ubiquitous places are a fun experience and the prices were cheap. The thing was, we took a bit too long to eat and talk, leaving us a brief 30 minutes to get about two miles to our appointment. To say we MOVED is an understatement. Imagine racing through a rainy city, crossing city streets and weaving through traffic. The last staircase of about 75 steps made it more brutal AND we made it in the nick of time. Up we went into the clouds. No real views of Tokyo, but a silly moment nonetheless.

All in all, your first full day in Japan was absolutely wonderful!

We’ll post photos of students and the area in a future post with just images. Here are a few captured shots over the course of the day. You can find more information at our Instagram #spsinjapan.