When I first came here in Japan, one of the fascinating places that I really like is Asakusa, located in the north-east part of central Tokyo. accessible via Ginza and Asakusa lines. The town is known as the center of Old Tokyo because of several temples in the area and old shops that sells traditional goods like kimono, chinas, special papers, chopsticks, etc. Asakusa is one of the most crowded places in Tokyo anytime of the year because of the influx of local and foreign tourists visiting the area and buying Japanese souvenirs to bring back home. I particularly like the Senso-ji Temple and the Nakamise or souvenir street in front of it.
Just recently, I made several trips to Asakusa especially when friends from Manila came to visit. But the most interesting trips for me were when I was with my Ikebana sensei and my English student who if from the area. The trip with my sensei was like going back to the olden times because she showed me places where her parents dated; the first tempura restaurant; the original rice cracker store; and the rituals that Japanese do when they visit Senso-ji temple.
And because one of my adult English student lives in Asakusa, she was kind enough to tour me around from time to time to nearby places that I have not been yet. Last spring we walked along Sumida Park to admire the sakuras. And then today we walked along Kappabashi, just a few meters away from Senso-ji Temple, a street filled with stores selling kitchen tools, utensils, and fabricated food.
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