A once-every-four-year sporting event and an in-depth look at Japan’s culture Recommended spots for sampling the traditional culture of working people in Tokyo

There is just one year to go before Japan hosts a once-every-four year sporting event. In this edition of our newsletter, we introduce the popular Asakusa and TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN, a convenient neighborhood to experience the traditional culture of working people in the Edo period, with easy access from the new national stadium that will serve as the event’s main venue. Asakusa offers opportunities to experience making traditional Edo glassware and visiting traditional Japanese pubs. TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN includes TOKYO Solamachi, a good shopping mall under the TOKYO SKYTREE to stock up on souvenirs. With a new major complex commercial facility also scheduled to open under the railway tracks in 2020, the “shitamachi area” is an exciting district that should feature in any Tokyo tour.

Try make traditional Edo cut glass and experience the traditional “shitamachi” atmosphere

The ambience of days long past still lingers in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s most well-known traditionally working class or “shitamachi” neighborhoods. At Sokichi, customers can experience designing and making their own Edo Kiriko, a traditional style of cut glass, learning to combine together many different patterned pieces using long-standing methods. There is no need for first-time visitors and other non-Japanese speaking travellers to worry about communication trouble as instruction is available in English if needed. You can of course take your completed piece home. After making your cut glass piece, another recommended pastime in Asakusa is exploring the bars of Hoppy Street, a great place for reliving your holiday memories with your travel companions, getting to know someone new or relaxing while making your plans for tomorrow.

Sokichi: https://www.sokichi-workshop.com/blank-4

Hoppy Street: https://matcha-jp.com/en/63

TOKYO Solamachi is a new evolution of “shitamachi culture”, and a great place for souvenirs

TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN is at the heart of the Shitamachi Wonderland Plan to create a vibrant, evolving district rooted in Japan’s traditional culture that provides authentic experiences, traditional craftsmanship, and opportunities for people to enjoy spending time with friends old and new. Japanese Souvenirs, on the 4th floor of TOKYO Solamachi, and Japan Experience Zone, on the 5th Floor, offer a range of stores that provide insights into Japan’s culture of manufacturing, with goods including everything from blades and artistic candy animals through to the realistic food samples. Simply browsing the stores is a great way to get a feel for Japanese culture. We also recommend TOKYO Solamachi for souvenir-hunting.

Floor guide：http://www.tokyo-solamachi.jp/english/floor/

Souvenir guide : http://www.Tokyo-solamachi.jp/pdf/souvenirGuide.pdf?ver20180910

Get into the spirit of “shitamachi” at a new complex commercial facility under the railway tracks

In Japan, many recent developments take advantage of the land under railway tracks to create unique locations rooted in the urban landscape. In 2020, a new complex commercial facility will open under the railway linking Asakusa and TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN to provide new look at the attractions of “shitamachi”. The new project will include restaurants, shops, various entertainments and accommodation, unified by the concept “Live to Trip”, which expresses the developer’s desire for guests to feel right at home. A new pedestrian bridge is also planned to link Asakusa and the TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN across the Sumida River, improving access between these two districts. In 2020, why not visit with your traveling companions to make some more great memories of your trip?

A new complex commercial facility : http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/pdf/20190704.pdf