The Stay — MoriKoYa | Ten ways to spend a day in old Asakusa

Morning Guide · 朝の過ごし方

The real Tokyo morning

Before the tour buses arrive, Asakusa belongs entirely to you. This is how the neighbourhood actually starts its day.

Senso-ji temple early in the morning, before the crowds.

06:00 · Morning

Senso-ji, before the crowds

Six in the morning is the temple's best hour. The incense is already lit, the sweepers are out, and the whole approach belongs to a handful of local worshippers. Walk back through Nakamise while the shutters are still down — it is a different street entirely.

6 minutes on foot · best 06:00–07:30

07:00 · Life Supermarket

Onigiri, a warm bento, handmade tofu, canned coffee. The doors open at nine — if you are awake before that, the convenience store two doors down never closes.

1 min · ¥300–800 · opens 09:00

07:30 · Balcony morning

Coffee and onigiri back on your own balcony. Delivery bikes, the tofu shop opening its shutters, schoolchildren in uniform. Tokyo at its most honest.

From your balcony · free

08:00 · Pelican Café

Thick-cut shokupan toasted over charcoal. The bakery has worked the same way since 1942; the café beside it opened in 2017. Arrive early — and not on a Sunday.

7 min · ¥600–1,200 · 8:00–18:00 · closed Sun

09:00 · Sumida River walk

North past Azumabashi. In blossom season the bank turns pink for five hundred metres; on any other morning, Skytree reflected in the water is worth the detour.

10 min · free

10:00 · Nishi-Asakusa shotengai

The local commercial street wakes at ten. Hardware shops, tofu makers, produce stalls — most will let you taste before you buy. The same families, sixty years.

2 min · free to browse

Sashimi counter opens

Ten o'clock at Life. Tuna, salmon, sea bream, octopus, cut that morning. Buy it for a balcony lunch that outclasses restaurants at ten times the price.

1 min · from 10:00

MoriKoYa Morning Kit

What we prepare for every guest

Printed Morning Map — 10 walks within 10 minutes
Life Supermarket guide — what to buy, how to read sake labels
Seasonal recommendations updated monthly
Restaurant reservation support — we call in Japanese
Neighbourhood café card with local barista picks

On your balcony

The other morning option

Pick up coffee and onigiri from Life Supermarket (1 minute walk), walk back, and sit on your private balcony while Nishi-Asakusa comes alive below. Watch the delivery bikes, the tofu shop, the schoolchildren. Tokyo at its most honest — and it's completely yours.

Cold buckwheat noodles with shredded leek and wasabi.

A bowl of ramen with nori, greens, chashu and a soft egg.

Midday · 昼 Lunch in Asakusa. Individual places are named in the cards below.

Lunch · 昼ごはん

Midday in Asakusa

From a ¥600 balcony lunch to tendon made by the same family since 1868. Asakusa's lunch scene is one of Tokyo's most honest — no theatre, just craft.

Life Supermarket deli

ライフスーパー · 惣菜コーナー

1 min walk Best value 1 min walk Bento Sashimi Tofu

Fresh sashimi platters, house-made bento still warm, grilled fish, simmered tofu. Buy lunch and eat it upstairs on your own balcony.

1 min ¥400–900 09:00–24:00

Daikokuya Tempura

大黒家天麩羅 · Since 1868

Est. 1868 Icon Since 1868 Tendon Queue early

Deep, dark sesame sauce and jumbo shrimp, made the same way since the Meiji era. The queue forms before opening and is part of the experience.

7 min ¥1,500–2,500 since 1868

Asakusa Mugimaru

麦丸 · 手打ちそば

Handmade daily Handmade Soba Local favourite

Hand-cut soba made fresh each morning. Eight seats, complete quiet, and an understanding of why Tokyo earns Michelin stars for noodles.

5 min ¥900–1,400 11:30–15:00

Asakusa Imahan · lunch set

浅草今半 · すき焼き · Since 1895

Est. 1895 Reserve 1 week Since 1895 Wagyu Sukiyaki

The accessible entry to Imahan — premium wagyu, house-made sweet soy broth, Kyoto tofu. We make the Japanese-language call for you.

6 min ¥3,000–6,000 reserve ahead

Nakamise-dori snacks

仲見世通り · 食べ歩き

Street food Ningyo-yaki Melonpan Senbei

Ningyo-yaki, freshly grilled senbei, hot matcha soft serve. Two hundred and fifty metres barely changed in eighty years. Best before ten.

5 min ¥200–600

Kappabashi kitchen street

Five minutes west, where Tokyo's chefs buy their tools. Knives, cast iron, ceramics, and the plastic food samples everyone photographs.

5 min browse freely

Dinner & Drinks · 夜の浅草

Lanterns, and what is under them

When Nakamise's shutters close, a different Asakusa emerges. Most of the best rooms seat six and take reservations only by telephone, in Japanese. We make the call.

Dinner & Drinks · 夜の浅草

Hoppy Street after dark

ホッピー通り · 昭和の居酒屋

A narrow lantern-lit row of open-fronted izakayas where locals have eaten grilled skewers since the 1950s. Plastic seats, shared benches, charcoal smoke, no English menu needed — just point and nod. The bill for four rarely passes ¥6,000.

4 minutes on foot no reservation

Otafuku

おたふく · おでん · Since 1880

Est. 1880 Reserve 3+ weeks Since 1880 Oden Sake

A small room heated by a giant clay pot of simmering dashi. The stock traces back to the founding. Locals who live five minutes away wait months for a weekend table.

8 min since 1880 reserve 3+ weeks

Asakusa Imahan

浅草今半 · 本店 · Wagyu sukiyaki

Est. 1895 Reserve 1 week Since 1895 Wagyu Shabu-shabu

Wagyu cooked tableside in sweet soy with raw egg. Private tatami rooms for six to twenty — the most requested reservation assist we handle.

6 min since 1895 reserve 1 week

Komagata Dojo

駒形どぜう · Founded 1801

Est. 1801 Time capsule Since 1801 Loach fish Edo cuisine

Over two hundred and twenty years of unbroken operation, serving dojo loach in the Edo style. The interior is unchanged since the Meiji era.

9 min since 1801 walk-in ok

Sushi Midori

すし美登利 · 浅草店

Walk-in ok Tsukiji-grade Sushi Walk-in

Market-fresh sushi at prices impossible elsewhere in Tokyo. Come at opening or join the queue — it moves quickly.

8 min ¥1,500–3,000 walk-in

Yanmo

やんも · 地酒バー

Local sake bar Regional sake Whisky No reservation

A local sake bar introducing visitors to Japan's finest regional nihonshu. The owner speaks some English and will guide you by preference.

6 min ¥1,500–3,000 from 17:00

Reservation assist

Tell us where, when and how many before 16:00 and we confirm the same evening. In Japanese, on your behalf, at no charge.

Ask at any time

A woman in kimono walking down a narrow old street of wooden townhouses at golden hour.

Two sumo wrestlers locked together in the ring as the referee calls the bout.

Red izakaya lanterns down a narrow street after dark.

Old Asakusa · 文化

Asakusa is living history

Asakusa was never fully modernised. What remains is not a museum — it is a neighbourhood where the Edo period is still present in craft, ritual and the rhythms of daily life.

Senso-ji Temple

浅草寺 · Tokyo's oldest temple · Est. 628 CE

6 min walk Founded 628 CE Founded 628 CE Free Open 24hrs

Tokyo's oldest temple, founded 628 CE. Visit twice — dawn and dusk are entirely different worlds. The Kaminarimon lantern is lit until 23:00.

6 min free grounds open 24h

Tokyo Skytree

東京スカイツリー · World's tallest broadcast tower

634 metres tall 634 metres Observation deck Dining

Visible from the upper floors on clear days. The Tembo Deck at 350m gives unobstructed 360° views. Book online to skip the queue.

15 min ¥2,100–3,100

Sumida River cruise

隅田川水上バス

River cruise River boat 12 historic bridges Hamarikyu

Board at Azumabashi pier and travel through central Tokyo past twelve bridges. The 35-minute route to Hamarikyu offers views no street or train can match.

10 min ¥800–1,060

Yukata & rickshaw

着物 · 人力車体験

3 min walk From hotel Kimono rental Rickshaw tour

Walk Asakusa the way it has been walked for two hundred years, or hire a jinrikisha for a narrated thirty-minute circuit. The operators speak English.

3 min ¥1,500–3,000

Asakusa Engei Hall

浅草演芸ホール

Since 1964 Rakugo Manzai Traditional arts

A three-hundred-seat variety theatre — rakugo, manzai, kōdan, performed every day since 1964. No Japanese needed for the physical comedy.

6 min ¥3,000 daily

Asakusa Culture Centre

Eight floors opposite Kaminarimon with a free rooftop deck. Skytree silhouetted behind the temple roofs at dusk is the photograph everyone wants.

6 min free

Grand sumo

Tokyo holds three of the six annual tournaments — January, May and September — across the river at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets go on sale about a month ahead and the good days sell out. Tell us your dates and we will try.

~15 min Jan / May / Sep

Festivals & Seasons · 年中行事

Festivals, and other reasons to time a trip

Asakusa keeps more festivals than almost any neighbourhood in Tokyo — not performances, but rituals the community has maintained continuously, some for four hundred years. Rooms for these weeks go early.

Mid-May

Sanja Matsuri

三社祭 · One of Tokyo's 3 great festivals

A hundred portable shrines through the streets over three days; 1.8 million people; food stalls the night before.

Late July

Sumida Fireworks

隅田川花火大会 · Held every year since 1733

Japan's oldest fireworks festival — 20,000 shells, every last Saturday of July since 1733. Visible from the upper floors.

Cherry trees in blossom along the Sumida riverbank.

Late March–April

Sakura on the Sumida

桜の季節 · Hanami

Five hundred metres of consecutive cherry trees along the river bank. Book six months ahead for peak weeks.

Mid-August

Bon Odori

盆踊り · Obon festival

Community folk dances in local parks and temple grounds. Solemn and joyful at once. Visitors are always welcome to join the circle — no skill required.

October–November

Autumn festivals

秋祭り · Chrysanthemum & Rooster Market

The chrysanthemum festival and Tori-no-Ichi market. Late November's ginkgo turning gold beside the pagoda is one of Tokyo's most photographed sights.

December–January

Year-end & New Year

年末年始 · Hagoita market · Hatsumode

December's decorative paddle market, then at midnight the temple bell rings one hundred and eight times. Three million people over three days.

3 February

Setsubun

節分 · Bean-throwing ceremony

Priests and sumo wrestlers throw roasted soybeans while the crowd shouts. One of the most theatrical seasonal rituals in Japan.

17th & 27th monthly

Temple market days

境内市 · 17th & 27th each month

Antiques, artisan goods, street food and traditional performers on the temple grounds. Packs up by noon.

Ask us

Planning around it

Tell us your dates and we will tell you what is on. Festival weeks are our busiest — six months ahead is not too early.

The same families, the same street

Asakusa has the highest concentration of century-old specialist shops in Tokyo — businesses that survived earthquake, fire and war by making one thing better than anyone else. A hundred years is unremarkable here. Two hundred is not unusual.

A simmering pot on the counter of an old shop.

A chef's hands shaping nigiri and brushing it with sauce at a counter.

百年老舗 · Century shops Shops that have traded on the same street for a hundred years. Each one is named in the cards below.

Century Shops

Bring an empty bag

Knife makers, sembei bakers, lacquerware artisans, brush makers. Kappabashi, five minutes west, is where Tokyo's chefs buy their tools. These are not tourist shops — they are the reason the neighbourhood still has a soul.

3–8 minutes on foot

1624 Est.

Nishikiya

錦屋 · 400+ years of wagashi

One of Tokyo's oldest businesses. The anko is made fresh each morning from a recipe that has never changed. Three staff, no credit cards.

6 min

1688 Est.

Yonehachi

米八 · Senbei since Genroku era

Handmade senbei baked over charcoal, each cracker turned by hand. They keep three weeks and taste nothing like the supermarket kind.

7 min

1801 Est.

Komagata Dojo

駒形どぜう · 220+ years continuous

Two hundred and twenty years of unbroken operation, in an interior unchanged since the Meiji restoration.

9 min

1842 Est.

Nakaya

中屋 · 刃物・職人道具

Supplying Asakusa's professional kitchens since 1842. They will sharpen your knife while you wait.

8 min

1867 Est.

Fujiya

藤屋 · 手ぬぐい · Tenugui textiles

Hand-dyed tenugui based on Edo-period woodblock motifs, dyed in-house by methods unchanged since 1867. The best portable souvenir in Asakusa.

5 min

1880 Est.

Otafuku

おたふく · おでん料理

The oden room that has warmed Asakusa since 1880. Reserve far ahead — or simply look through the doorway on your way past.

8 min

Life · スーパー

The neighbourhood's kitchen

A full-scale Japanese supermarket sixty seconds from the gate — and the reason a suite with a kitchen matters.

A compartmented bento box from the supermarket deli counter — grilled salmon, tamagoyaki and seasoned rice.

ライフ西浅草店 · Life Nishi-Asakusa The supermarket sixty seconds from the gate — open 09:00–24:00, every day of the year.

ライフ西浅草店 · Life Nishi-Asakusa

Under a minute from the door

Hot bento and fresh sashimi from ten in the morning, handmade tofu delivered daily, seasonal fruit, regional sake, and everything you forgot to pack. It is where Tokyo families actually shop, which is rather the point.

Fresh sashimi

Tuna, salmon, sea bream, octopus; sea urchin in season. Cut that morning at the counter. From 10:00

Bento & deli

Grilled fish, tempura, braised pork, vegetable sides. The best sell out by two in the afternoon at weekends. From 11:00 · ¥400–900

Fresh tofu

House-made silken and firm tofu delivered each morning. Serve it cold with soy — nothing else needed. Daily

Sake & shochu

Regional sake with tasting notes, local craft beer, premium shochu. Buy for the balcony on the way home. Until 24:00

Seasonal fruit

Amaou strawberries, Shine Muscat grapes, white peaches. Expensive, and worth it once. Seasonal

Take Japan home

Premium dashi, artisan miso, ceremonial matcha, sencha. The best souvenirs in Asakusa are in a supermarket. Last night

Tamagoyaki

Freshly rolled egg omelette — buy warm and eat on your balcony

Matcha & Tea

Ceremonial and drinking grade matcha, sencha, hojicha to take home

MoriKoYa Recommends

The Life morning routine

07:00 — Onigiri and canned coffee before the Sensoji dawn walk
10:00 — Sashimi counter opens: salmon on your balcony for ¥600
11:00 — Hot bento available: grilled fish set ¥450–700
After dinner — Buy sake for the balcony. Premium nihonshu from ¥800
Last night — Load up on dashi sachets, miso, matcha to take home

Location & Hours

Life Supermarket Nishi-Asakusa

1 minute walk from MoriKoYa's front entrance — turn right, walk straight.

Opening hours: 09:00–24:00 daily (365 days a year)
Fresh sashimi available: From 10:00
Hot deli bento: From 11:00 (sell out by 14:00 on weekends)
Alcohol section: Open until 24:00

We include a printed Life Supermarket guide in every guest welcome pack — what to buy, how to read sake labels, and what to look for in each season.

Two guests in kimono riding a jinrikisha past Senso-ji while the driver talks with them.

A family making food together at a kitchen counter, the child shaping dough between her parents.

Two hands rolling sushi on a bamboo mat.

Together · 体験 Things made by hand. Each experience is named below.

Together · 体験

Asakusa for every group

Culture here is hands-on, not just observed. Tell us the shape of your group — which generation needs the lift, who is sharing with the children — and we plan around it.

Best for ages 2–10

Couple with Young Children

Asakusa is made for young kids — temple incense smoke they can wave, lanterns to stare at, foods to point to, and photo moments that last forever.

Family kimono & photo walk

家族着物・フォトウォーク · 2–3 hrs

Most popular All ages Kids welcome Full family Professional photos

Parents in yukata, children in mini kimono, then ninety minutes with a photographer through Senso-ji and the back streets. Children from age 2.

3 min ¥8,000–18,000 per family

Family sushi rolling class

親子寿司教室 · Asakusa studio

Hands-on 2hrs Kids from age 4 English You eat what you make

Ninety minutes rolling maki, temaki and onigiri together, in English, ending with eating everything you made.

8 min ¥4,500–6,000 pp from age 4

Rickshaw (Jinrikisha) Tour

人力車 · 浅草観光コース

Unique 30–60 min All ages English narration Private

Young children are absolutely captivated by the rickshaw experience — sitting elevated above the street, pulled through the back lanes of old Asakusa by a young operator in traditional uniform. The 30-minute neighbourhood course takes you through streets no tourist map shows. Operators speak English and know every story.

📍 5 min walk ¥3,000–8,000 / person 10:00–17:00

Wagashi (Sweet) Making Class

和菓子作り体験 · Nerikiri craft

Creative 90 min Kids from age 5 You take them home Seasonal designs

Children shape colourful nerikiri (sweet bean paste confections) into seasonal forms — cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, rabbits — guided by a craft instructor. Parents make their own alongside. You leave with a small box of your creations, wrapped beautifully. Completely mess-free and one of the most Instagram-friendly activities in Asakusa.

📍 6 min walk ¥3,500–5,000 / person By booking

Temple Morning Walk (Guided)

浅草寺ガイドウォーク · MoriKoYa exclusive

Free Best 06:00–08:00 Free for guests All ages Staff guided

Our morning guide takes small groups (up to 8 people) to Sensoji at dawn — explaining the legends of the temple founding in 628 CE, the incense smoke ritual, the fortune slips, and the dragon carvings children always find. Best at 06:30 before the first tourists arrive. Complimentary for MoriKoYa guests, on request.

📍 6 min walk Complimentary 06:30 daily (request)

Family Food Walk — Asakusa Snacks

食べ歩きルート · 仲見世通り〜西浅草

Food route 2 hrs Curated route 8–10 stops All ages

Our printed Family Food Map walks you through 8 stops: ningyo-yaki (doll cakes), melonpan, freshly grilled senbei, kakigori shaved ice, taiyaki fish cakes, and more. We note which stalls let children watch the cooking process — always a highlight for ages 3–10. The full route takes about 2 hours at a comfortable pace.

📍 From your door ¥1,000–3,000 / family 10:00–17:00

Fish and prawns on skewers set around a charcoal hearth at a robatayaki counter.

A one-pot nabe of thinly sliced beef, tofu, shiitake and greens, ready to simmer.

Skewers grilling over charcoal at a stall.

Food routes · 食べ歩き Eating as you walk. The four routes are listed below.

Food routes · 食べ歩き

Four routes, one door

Each route starts at our gate and ends within walking distance. We hand you a printed copy at check-in, and we will adjust any of them for dietary requirements.

Route 1 · 2 hrs · Morning

Route 1 · The classic morning

Life at seven for onigiri, then the balcony, Senso-ji incense, Nakamise senbei, Pelican charcoal toast, the shotengai, and back to Life when the sashimi counter opens.

1

Life Supermarket onigiri + canned coffee (7:00, ¥300)

2

Balcony eat on your private balcony watching the street wake up

3

Sensoji incense temple grounds, fortune slip, morning quiet

4

Nakamise-dori freshly grilled senbei, ningyo-yaki, melonpan

5

Pelican Café charcoal toast (arrive by 8:00 for a seat)

6

Nishi-Asakusa shotengai local market, tofu tasting

7

Life Supermarket (return) sashimi opens at 10:00, buy for lunch

Route 2 · Full day · Asakusa deep dive

Route 2 · Century shop trail

Pelican (1942), Yonehachi (1688), Nakaya (1842), Daikokuya (1868), Fujiya (1867), Otafuku (1880), then a Hoppy Street nightcap. Slow pace, full day.