Asakusa, Tokyo
Asakusa (Japanese浅 草, pronounced Asak'sa, dt flat grass) is a district in Tokyo's district Taitō. Is known of the district for the Sensō -ji, the oldest and most important Buddhist temple in Tokyo, and lying in close proximity to the Asakusa Shrine. Asakusa is located at the eastern end of the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, about 1.8 km east of the main railway station, Ueno.
History
For a long time was known as Asakusa entertainment district in which settled kabuki and rakugo theater. After the Meiji Restoration, increasingly took the modern entertainment industry foot and Western theaters and cinemas emerged. The golden age Asakusas portrayed Yasunari Kawabata in his story The golden band of Asakusa. After the 2nd World War but lost as Asakusa entertainment district in popularity as him other municipalities such as Shinjuku increasingly expired the rank. Today Asakusa is known besides the Sensō -ji mainly for the shopping promenade Nakamise and the annual Shinto festival Sanja Matsuri. Compared to other districts can be found in Asakusa many buildings of the '50s and '60s, including some traditional ryokan.
With the foundation of the old Tokyo Prefecture ( Tōkyō- fu) 1878 Asakusa was an independent municipality ( ku ), and was in 1889 with the founding of the city of Tokyo to this. 1947 Asakusa lost its status as a municipality and was merged with Shitaya the new city district Taitō.
Traffic
- Train: Asakusa Station Tōbu Nikko line, according to Nikko
- Tōbu Isesaki line, after Isesaki
- Tsukuba Express to Akihabara or Tsukuba
- Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
- Toei Asakusa Line
Sons and daughters of the district
- Masahisa Goi (1916-1980), Japanese philosopher and freedom fighter