Historic Asakusa Tour & Fake Food Samples in Kappabashi

Boasting sights like the Sensoji Temple and magnificent Kaminarimon Gate, Asakusa is a district of Tokyo rich in history. Hosted by a local area expert, this tour will take you on a comprehensive sweep of Asakusa’s iconic sights, including a stroll through the Nakamise-dori shopping street, where 90 different shops selling everything from sweets to wooden swords fight for visitors’ attention. Then, you’ll explore the old theater district of Rokku, which is seeing a renaissance of traditional and cultural entertainment. One of Tokyo’s most popular areas, it’s not uncommon for Asakusa to be packed with visitors from both within and outside of Japan. However, don’t worry about the din of the crowd; for larger groups of three or more, each guest will be provided with an earpiece that’ll ensure you hear every word of their explanations. And you won’t want to miss a moment — an expert in Japanese culture and history, your guide will teach you what you never knew about Asakusa. But that’s not all. Afterwards, your host will then take you a few blocks over to Kappabashi Street, colloquially referred to as Tokyo’s “Kitchen Town”. It’s one of the city’s most famous hubs to get your hands on kitchen equipment and specialized utensils, like santoku and nakiri knives. Still, the street is best-known for its specialty shops selling “fake food”: plastic food replicas — the kind you see in display cases outside Japanese restaurants — called shokuhin sampuru, or food samples. You’ll be taken to some of the oldest shops of this classic art of fake food making, where your guide will be happy to translate any questions you might have for the shopkeepers and artisans. It’s an opportunity to gain some rare insights into this iconic craft, and to buy some home for yourself. With how good they look, just be sure not to accidentally take a bite!