Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara Walking Route
Start your day surrounded by temples and more traditional cultural legacies of Japan, then spend a few hours walking around Ueno Park, with its museums, zoo and stunning Lilly-pad lake, then move onto the polar opposite of both, the electric town of Akihabara, which is only a 20 minute walk away from Ueno Park. Why travel by train when you can walk some of the best locations in Tokyo all in one day?
The route in general
Visiting all 3 areas on foot will take about 2 hours, if you don’t stop at all. Obviously, you will be stopping and depending on your interests, each area may keep you occupied for different amounts of time. Ueno Park is more relaxing however if you are not interested in Museums or the Zoo, then Ueno Park will just be a nice walk on your way to Akihabara.
If you plan to take a deep dive into the geek subculture then Akihabara can easily take up a full day, in which case starting in Ueno and skipping Asakusa makes more sense. However, if maid cafes and game centers are not your thing, then a more extended walk will let you see more of the city, without getting too focused on one location.
The walk point by point
AAsakusa Sensoji Temple – Check out the main article for details however this is certainly a place you can spend a good half-day exploring, and is a great place to have lunch before moving on. If you do spend half a day here, then you won’t have enough time to properly experience Ueno Park or Akihabara, so plan well and decide what your priorities are.
BLightning Gate – On your way you should pass through this and check out all the tourists trying to take photos.
CKappabashi Street – If you are curious about where the restaurants in Japan get the plastic food on display outside, then this street will answer all your questions.
DUeno Park – You could spend a day in all the museums and the zoo, but both are not for everyone. The science museum is generally the most interactive and good for kids. Make sure to check what special exhibitions they might have on. The Zoo is famous for the red panda
EBentendo Temple – Set in the middle of the Ueno Park lakes, the walkway onto the temple island is a permanent festival food corridor that will sell all the typical outdoor snacks like Yakisoba, Chocolate Bananas, Takoyaki, etc. Depending on the season the number and variety of stalls will vary. The area will get very busy during cherry blossom season.
FLilly-pad viewing area – If the lilies are in bloom (during summer), this viewing terrace is the perfect place to take your photo as the Bentendo Temple will be in the background.
GAmeyoko Street – A lively and constantly crowded street market with a bias towards footwear and fresh fish. This is a great place to stock up on souvenir snacks and there are a large number of places to eat, including noisy Izakaya that spill out into the pathways.
HTaiyaki Shop – If you don’t go to Osaka then eat one of these here. Usually they are filled with sweet bean paste, which can be difficult for some. This shop does cream filled ones that are to die for.
Walking around Akihabara
Akihabara is a place full of geeky delights. For a full menu of what is on offer check out the official article. However, after visiting the Taiyaki shop a wander around the maid cafe area and a play in one of the game centers is certainly worth your time. There are plenty of places to eat, including a number of ramen shops, although if you fancy something a bit easier to navigate, then the restaurants in the Akihabara UDX building on the 2nd floor (go up any escalator to get there). The ramen place is particularly foreigner friendly, although the more authentic experience can be had in the geeky area.
Heading home
IYodobashi Camera – The largest electronics chain in Japan, with Akihabara being the geekiest place to have such a shop. You don’t have to buy anything, but do pop in just to experience the sheer number of staff. Forget about the restaurants on the top floor, they are nothing special.
JAkihabara Station – Head home from Akihabara station. If you aren’t with any children, then check out the Adult Department Store right by the station.
