10 things to do around Omo3 Asakusa hotel

Located on the Asakusa Kannon Dori shopping street just minutes from Asakusa Station, Asakusa Sushi Sakae is popular with locals and offers a relaxed atmosphere. Its numerous regulars include many members of the Omo staff.

Established as a branch of Ginza’s long-running but now sadly closed Edomae sushi purveyor Sushi Sakae, the restaurant is all about preserving its traditions. The chefs particularly pride themselves on their anago (conger eel), a staple of Edomae sushi. Kept alive in tanks in the restaurant, the eels are carefully prepared and served with a generations-old secret sauce. This is where to seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of Asakusa and enjoy reasonably priced counter sushi without worrying about dining formalities.

Gozen Soba Kaminarimon Tagawa is just a 30-second walk from the iconic Kaminarimon gate. Despite being located right in the middle of the tourist crunch, the restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere perfect for taking a break from the madness outside.

The Omo rangers recommend the Gozen Soba Shishoku, a combo dish featuring four varieties of soba: plain, green tea, sesame and seasonal. Gozen soba, made solely from the buckwheat seed’s core, is characterised by its refined flavour and smooth texture. Each of the four types is so delicious that you’ll want to try it without dipping sauce first.

Sake-compatible dishes like chicken wasabi are also popular, and the proprietress's friendly service is another plus. 

The Sengyo Tempura Narasaka izakaya sits in the quiet Kannonura area, just behind Sensoji Temple from the direction of Asakusa Station. The resident chef cooks up tasty, affordable food he hopes will draw locals back repeatedly.

The Omo rangers recommend the beef tendon stew and the limited-quantity radish tempura. The stew’s mildly savoury flavour pairs perfectly with sake, while the dashi-soaked radish tempura offers a delightful mix of crisp and juicy textures. The fresh sashimi, cut from fish delivered daily straight from Toyosu Market, is also popular. The restaurant is consistently busy with locals and the sashimi and radish tempura often sell out by late afternoon, so it’s best to visit early.

The Asakusa branch of the Oslo-born coffee shop Fuglen sits on a corner just past Sensoji Temple’s west entrance. Its striking design brings together elements of traditional and modern Asakusa as imagined by architect Akihisa Hirata, who also worked on Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado’s exterior and rooftop.

In order to bring out the original flavour of the single-origin beans, Fuglen is very particular about its roasting process. It’s this attention to detail that results in crisp coffee without impurities or a bitter aftertaste. You can pair your cup with some waffles; Fuglen offers both sweet and savoury toppings, with the latter including Norwegian salmon. You might spot some comedians there, too: the popular café is frequented by rakugo performers from the nearby Asakusa Engei Hall.

Just a three-minute walk from Asakusa Station, Bar Calluna has a welcoming atmosphere that immediately puts first-time visitors at ease.

This is a classic, authentic bar where the knowledgeable bartender listens to your preferences and offers personalised drink recommendations.

Behind the striking karin wood counter sits an array of antique whisky bottles sure to get malts aficionados’ juices flowing, while guests ordering cocktails are encouraged to share their moods and desired flavours. Non-alcoholic cocktails are also available.

The small Tokyo Hotarudo is a shop overflowing with Taisho-era (1912–1926) merchandise: kimonos, lamps, tableware, radios and more. Even the shop’s soundscape is meticulously crafted; audio from a computer is transmitted as AM radio waves via a transmitter, then received by antique radios. The positioning of multiple radios creates a concert hall-like harmony, with old and new technology working in tandem.

It’s all the work of Hotarudo’s owner, who with his wife sources and restores antique props nationwide for resale. The shop itself occupies a renovated Taisho-era restaurant dormitory. If you’re looking to revisit the forgotten essence of the roaring twenties in Japan, be sure to embark on a historical journey at Hotarudo.

Located between Asakusa and Ueno, the Kappabashi wholesale district is full of shops specialising in tableware and cooking utensils. While food samples are a known draw for international visitors, the area also offers insight into Japanese craftsmanship.

Dating back to the Edo period (1603–1867), the district grew rapidly to respond to increased demand for foodstuffs following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and subsequent wars. Initially catering to professional chefs, it has since become a popular Tokyo destination open to everyone.

Highlights among the speciality shops are Hashitou Honten, which focuses on chopsticks made from quality materials, Majimaya Confectionery Tool & Gear Shop, known for its impressive display of various cookie-cutters, and Kamata Hakensha, whose knife-sharpening classes are a popular draw.

One of four remaining rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) theatres in Tokyo, Asakusa Engei Hall Toyokan is a unique place where rakugo, manzai, magic and other forms of entertainment can be enjoyed casually 365 days a year.

Established in 1964, the theatre stands in the former entertainment district known as Rokku. The second floor of its building once housed the Asakusa France-za theatre, a beloved haunt of writer and translator Kafu Nagai and a frequent venue for actor Kiyoshi Atsumi's packed performances. Its sister theatre, the Toyo Theatre, is where the young Takeshi Kitano lived and worked while honing his craft.

Throughout the years the Asakusa Engei Hall has hosted many legendary rakugo performers, and a diverse cast of storytellers and comedians young and old continues to entertain audiences today. Many of the rakugo storytellers who appear at the ‘Asakusa Rakugo Night’ hosted by Omo3 Asakusa also perform here.

Asakusa Shrine is the origin of the Sanja Festival, a beloved annual celebration that sees all of Asakusa enveloped in a party atmosphere. The historic main shrine was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1946. While Sensoji Temple is Asakusa’s most famous religious site, this neighbouring shrine is equally important in local history. Asakusa Shrine is dedicated to the two fishermen who are said to have discovered the statue of the bodhisattva Kannon, Sensoji's principal object of worship, and to the three men of culture who identified it as a Buddhist statue.

Now worshiped as the guardian deity of the area, the shrine encompasses several sub-shrines including Hikan Inari Shrine, a sanctuary revered especially by Kabuki actors and said to bring good fortune in employment and life's endeavours in general. Nearby are the Meoto Komainu statues, a pair of guardian dogs believed to bless visitors with marital harmony and successful romantic relationships.

As an added bonus for fans of the hit manga series Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo (‘Kame-chan's Police Box’), a stone monument dedicated to the series' main character can be found on the shrine grounds. So whether you’re seeking employment, success, good fortune, or simply a connection to a beloved manga, both Sensoji and Asakusa Shrine are worth checking out.

Asakusa Hanayashiki Amusement Park, established as a flower garden in the latter half of the 1800s, is Japan's oldest amusement park. Packed with attractions including the nation's oldest roller coaster – constructed in 1953 and still running – the park continues to thrill especially younger visitors.

In 2023, Hanayashiki celebrated its 170th anniversary by opening three new attractions. Panorama Time Travel, a four-screened multimedia experience, traces Asakusa's history in an immersive setting. Profound Mystery!? You are Scoop Cameraman! takes visitors around the park in search of yokai that appear in an augmented-reality world using a special scanner. The last of the three new attractions is The Haunted House ‘Kimodameshi of Edo’, which is based on four classic Edo ghost stories including Yotsuya Kaidan.