Asakusa: TOKYO SKYTREE Exploration after History Tour
Description
Gain a big-picture history at street level, then a perspective from the skies above Tokyo in just half a day. Begin your experience with a guided walk that does far more than introduce Asakusa—it explains Japan itself. - Big-picture Japan history, explained on foot prior to ascending to the tower - Connect the flow of history just learned to the view sprawling underneath. - Experience transformation of the city with landmarks into something personal. - With your guide’s help identify major landmarks across the vast metropolis. - Take a professional photo, with the option to purchase a downloadable link. - Step onto the glass floor for a thrilling look straight down at the streets below - Take a professional photo, with the option to purchase a downloadable link
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin along the Sumida River, where the story of Japan’s isolation and opening to the world comes alive. Learn why the Edo shogunate sealed the country for over 200 years, why the Netherlands alone was permitted to trade, and how Admiral Perry’s arrival forced Japan to reopen. The guide connects this past to modern Tokyo—right down to Odaiba’s former gun batteries and today’s Statue of Liberty replica facing the Pacific.
Get a clear introduction to Japan’s two major religions, Buddhism and Shinto, setting the foundation for everything you’ll see ahead.
At Asakusa’s iconic gate, explore the fascinating contrast between Japanese and Western dragons—and learn why the Japanese dragon plays exactly an opposite role from the Western one.
Stroll through one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets while learning about Buddhist symbols like the vajra (tokko) and the world-changing impact of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Discover how these prints unexpectedly reached Europe—and inspired Western Impressionist painters.
Here, your guide reveals a surprising truth: people in Japan and the West shared remarkably similar ways of thinking 1,000 years ago.
Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple offers another striking comparison between medieval Japan and Europe, along with a clear explanation of how prayer differs in Buddhism and Shinto.
End the tour at a place that amazes many visitors: a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple sharing the same grounds, worshippers, and history—peacefully coexisting for over a millennium. Learn why.
The Tokyo Skytree area is the other popular tourist spot in the Asakusa area. It boasts not only the tallest structure in Japan with observation decks but also huge complex of dining facilities and shops.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Since the Skytree entry tickets sell quickly, we buy them as soon as the booking is made. In the meantime, the tickets are not cancellable and their dates cannot be changed. Therefore, this activity is not cancellable and no refund will be made in case of cancellation by the customer.
Reviews(25)
The tour was fantastic and very informative. Our guide Yoko was the best guide we ever had. She was very polite and competent. Thank you very much for the great experience!
We highly recommend this very interesting visit also thanks to the valuable directions of Mr Taka
Our experience has been trurly amazing and fascinating. A tour in japanese history and culture from the walk near the Subuya river to the Skytree. Mr Taka entertained us and gave us a lot of great insights every moment. I really recommend this kind of experience to anyone !
Great tour. Mr Taka great guide! Very prepared guided us through the visit of the temple district and then the sky three
My brother and I had the pleasure of touring with Taka. He told us the history of buildings and what each place means to the people. We enjoyed it and for anyone touring with Taka, you won’t be disappointed.
Taka was a very friendly and knowledgable tour guide. My family and i had a great time on this tour. Highly recommend this tour for families.
Loved this tour and our tour guide, Taka, was extremely knowledgeable and gave an amazing tour. He was very friendly and answered our many questions while showing us around Tokyo and the Skytree. I would recommend touring with Taka!
We had a truly wonderful experience on today’s tour with Junko Yamashita. She is a very attentive, knowledgeable, and thoughtful guide who shared a wealth of historical information in a clear and engaging way. The tour was both informative and meaningful, offering great insights into Japanese history and culture. Junko’s passion and care made the experience even more enjoyable and easy to follow. We highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to better understand the history of Japan through a well-guided and enriching experience.
We had a great time exploring Asakusa and visiting the Sensō-ji and Asakusa Shrine. We also got to experience the Tokyo Sky Tree, with incredible views across Tokyo and plenty of photo opportunities. Our tour guide was Junko Yamashita (Jun Chan) and she was incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable of the local area’s history. We really enjoyed spending the day with her and would definitely recommend this tour. 10/10.
Our guide was called Sue and she was an excellent guide. She was very polite and pleasant. Her English was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and did not rush us and we went at a good pace and also she gave us opportunities to ask questions. The experience was a lot more than we could have hoped for. Sue explained about all the traditions associated with the temples and was very knowledgeable. The skytree experience was amazing and Sue again made the experience unforgettable. We would highly recommend this tour.
