The pandemic may have put a damper on international tourism, but that means now’s the perfect time to get to know our own backyard a little better. Meta Tourism, a tour company that delves deep into local cultural attractions, is showing that even locals can learn new things about their own neighbourhoods. It’s a great way to travel and if you’re keen to try it out, Sumida Meta Tourism is offering a free tour of Sumida ward, bringing you to unique places you won’t find in a typical guidebook.
The two-hour tour will run from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday November 27 and will start at Kanegafuchi Station. From there, you’ll be taken to locations including a famous shotengai (shopping street) popular with local television programmes, Entokuji Temple, Higashi-Shirahige Park and much more. Along the way you'll stop by local landmarks immortalised in ukiyo-e woodblock print artworks, such as Shirahige Bridge and Mukojima Hyakkaen flower garden.
You can expect to visit several famous food institutions, too. There's the famous Katayama steak restaurant, listed as one of Tokyo’s top 100 yoshoku (Western style) restaurants, as well as the sweets shop Yoshibikoya, which you might recognize from the Netflix show ‘The Solitary Gourmet’.
The tour is in English, and it's limited to just ten spots. So if you’re keen to join, be sure to register here. Note that if bookings exceed the available spots, a lottery system will be put in place.
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