 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Asakusa" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg)
Asakusa (浅草;Japanese:[asakɯ̥ꜜsa]ⓘ) is a district inTaitō,Tokyo, Japan. It is known forSensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to thebodhisattvaKannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such asSanja Matsuri.[1]
The development of Asakusa as an entertainment district during theEdo period came about in part because of the neighboring district, Kuramae. Kuramae was a district of storehouses for rice, which was then used as payment for servants of the feudal government. The keepers (fudasashi) of these storage houses initially stored the rice for a small fee, but over the years began exchanging the rice for money or selling it to local shopkeepers at a margin.[2] Through such trading, manyfudasashi came to have a considerable amount of disposable income and as result theaters andgeisha houses began to spring up in nearby Asakusa.
For most of the 20th century, Asakusa remained a major entertainment district in Tokyo. Therokku or "Sixth District" was in particular famous as a theater district, featuring famous cinemas such as theDenkikan. The golden years of Asakusa are vividly portrayed inYasunari Kawabata's novelThe Scarlet Gang of Asakusa (1930). The area was heavily damaged by US bombing raids during World War II, particularly the10 March 1945 firebombing of Tokyo. The area was rebuilt after the war, but has now been surpassed byShinjuku and other colorful areas in the city in its role as a pleasure district.
Asakusa was a ward ofTokyo City. In 1947, when the city was transformed into ametropolis, it was merged withShitaya to form the modern Taito ward. The former ward encompassed 19 neighborhoods in the eastern half of Taitō.
Asakusa is on the north-east fringe of central Tokyo, at the eastern end of theTokyo Metro Ginza Line subway, approximately one mile east of the majorUeno railway/subway interchange. It is central to the area colloquially referred to asShitamachi, which literally means "low city," referring to the low elevation of this old part of Tokyo, on the banks of theSumida River. As the name suggests, the area has a more traditionally Japanese atmosphere than some other neighborhoods in Tokyo do.
Asakusa has many restaurants and places to try traditional Japanese foods. One of the most popular treats issatsuma imo, sweet potatoes. Another special treat ischikuwa kamaboko, grilled fish cakes. The Suzuhiro store serves local craft beer with traditionalkamaboko. Asakusa is also known for spices such asshichimi andsanshō.
In a city where there are very few buildings older than 50 years because of thewartime bombing, Asakusa has a greater concentration of buildings from the 1950s and 1960s than most other areas in Tokyo do. There are traditionalryokan (guest-houses) and small-scale apartment buildings throughout the district.
In keeping with a peculiarly Tokyo tradition, Asakusa hosts a major cluster of domestic kitchenware stores onKappabashi-dori, which is visited by many Tokyoites for essential supplies. Next to theSensō-ji temple grounds is a small amusement park calledHanayashiki, which claims to be the oldest amusement park in Japan. The neighborhood theaters specialize in showing classic Japanese films, as many of the tourists are elderly Japanese.
Cruises down theSumida River depart from a wharf a five-minute walk from the temple.
Asakusa is Tokyo's oldestgeisha district, and still has 45 actively working geisha.[citation needed]
Because of its colourful location, downtown credentials, and relaxed atmosphere by Tokyo standards, Asakusa is a popular accommodation choice for budget travelers.
The neighborhood is famous for its annual Brazilian stylecarnival. There is a significantBrazilian presence in the local community and the Association ofSamba Schools of Asakusa is based there.[3][4]
Although there are many festivals throughout the year in Asakusa, the most famous of them is theSanja Matsuri, also known as Sanja Festival, which takes place in May.[5] In this festival,mikoshi (portable shrines) and floats are pulled through the streets while loud shouts accompany them, and during the festival's 3 days, 1.5 million people come out to celebrate.[6]
The district has two railway stations with the same name:
Tsukuba Express (TX-03)
Taitō City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools.
Asakusa 1-chome and portions of 2-chome are zoned toAsakusa Elementary School [ja]. All of 6- and 7-chome and parts of 3-, 4-, and 5-chome are zoned toFuji Elementary School [ja]. Parts of 3-, 4-, and 5-chome are zoned toSenzoku Elementary School [ja]. Portions of 2-chome are zoned toKinryu Elementary School [ja]. Portions of 5-chome are zoned toHigashi-Asakusa Elementary School [ja].[7]
Asakusa 1- and 2-chome are zoned toAsakusa Junior High School [ja]. All of Asakusa 6- and 7-chome and portions of 3-, 4-, and 5-chome are zoned toSakurabashi Junior High School [ja]. Portions of Asakusa 3-, 4-, and 5-chome are zoned toHakuyo Junior High School [ja].[8]
Media related toAsakusa at Wikimedia Commons
Tokyo/Asakusa travel guide from Wikivoyage| Districts |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major stations |
| |||||
| Landmarks | ||||||
| Education | ||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
35°42′52″N139°47′48″E / 35.71444°N 139.79667°E /35.71444; 139.79667
