Tokyo · Asakusa and Sumida
Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center
A small, free center on the covered Hisago-dori street, north of the crowds of Senso-ji. On two floors it shows about 250 works from about 50 traditional crafts of Tokyo: bamboo blinds, chests of paulownia wood, joinery without nails, brushes, knives and fans.
The works are by craftspeople from the ward, and are not museum exhibits. From time to time the center holds an auction of works from the display, and next to the crafts there are touch screens in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean that explain how each one is made.
Good to know
- Live demonstrations by craftspeople are held mainly for groups that booked in advance, and not on a fixed schedule. If you want to see a craftsperson at work, check the events calendar on the website before you come.
- This is a good stop on a rainy day, on the way from the temple to Kappabashi Street.
- From the subway lines at Asakusa it is a quarter of an hour on foot. From the Tsukuba Express line it is five minutes.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center.
- HereEdo Taito Traditional Crafts Center
- ~4 min
Hoppy Street Asakusa Street
About 100 meters of izakaya open to the street, where people drink from 11 in the morning. Order nikomi, a beef tendon stew, and Hoppy. The prices are aimed at tourists.
- ~5 min
Asakusa Engei Hall More to see
One of the four permanent rakugo theaters in Tokyo. The rakugo is in Japanese, but the magic and acrobatics acts work even without the language. After 18:00 the ticket is ¥2,500.
- ~6 min
Coffee Tengoku Cafe
A Showa-era coffee shop, only 15 seats. Order the hotcake with the character 天 branded on it, with coffee, ¥1,100 to ¥1,400. Cash only.
- ~6 min
Asakusa Kagetsudo Honten Food
A giant melon-pan, crisp outside and airy inside, since 1945. Opens at 09:00 and closes when it sells out.
- ~7 min
Sometaro Food
An okonomiyaki house from 1937 in a wooden house with tatami, where you cook it yourself on the griddle in the table. ¥2,000 to ¥3,000 per person. Cash only.
- ~7 min
Suzukien Asakusa Cafe
A tea merchant from 1848 with matcha ice cream in seven levels of strength. Number 7, which they call the strongest in the world, costs ¥660.
- ~9 min
Kappabashi Dougu Street Street
800 meters of shops for chefs: Japanese knives, plastic food as a souvenir, and ceramics.