(*´ω｀*) Places: #4 Asakusa

Asakusa

浅草

Asakusa was probably the last of all places that you expected to be reading about here, right? "What is this 'Asakusa'?" (｡･ω･)ﾉﾞ So, for those interested in History, Japanese Shrines and Temples, then Asakusa is definitely a spot to put on your map! I will admit, the first time I travelled to Tokyo, the only reason I stayed in Asakusa was due to it being cheapest at the time. (The second cheapest Hostel was in Akihabara, but saving money would have been disastrous then. ) Asakusa is home to the Senso-ji temple/金龍山浅草寺, and is Tokyo's oldest temple. Close to the temple is Asakusa shrine also, it is known as "Sanja-sama" - Shrine of the Three Gods, so you can see how popular this place is to tourism. (Please visit the supplied link for further information!)  
So why do I keep returning to Asakusa? ヾ(*ﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ Along with the cheapness of Hostels, I am now familiar with the city and feel at most ease with such a quiet and peaceful place, and I always find something new to see!

Inside the temple area you will find yourself suddenly within a market known as 'Nakamise' it is over 200 meters and you are more than likely bound to get lost in awe with the traditional souvenirs, food and sweets! (◎ω◎*)~ The shopping street alone has history of over several centuries, and it is still running strong today! So Nakamise is definitely the place to go and buy all your souvenirs and gifts! If ever you plan to visit Tokyo during the New Year, I really recommend coming to the temple for it's lively bustling vibe, great street food and such an amazing aura to be around! (σ・ω・)σ Of course yes, like most places in Tokyo, there is also an arcade or five dotted around variously! Fun for all the Family!

☆ Asakusa has a lot of famous landmarks. In the above picture there are two already - or possibly three!? The bridges itself are rather well known - it's a good guide to where you are in Asakusa, if you are finding difficulty in locating a place, just make note of which bridge it is closer to, then the locals will exclaim rather loudly, 'Ah! Blue bridge!' and point you in direction, trust me, it is not hard to miss these four lane bridges for transport. The river you see is called Sumida river where available boat trips are ready for anyone! ヾ(ﾟ∇ﾟ*)≡=3

Another very popular landmark in the above photo is the Asahi Beer Hall building - can you guess which one it is? The 'Asahi flame' is often referred to as "golden turd" kin no unko/ 金のうんこ due to it's strange shape, and that isn't just the tourist giving it the unique name, actually the locals refer to it as the golden turd too! ♪ (〃∇〃)ﾉ The second landmark is possibly hard to spot in the above photo, on my two trips to Tokyo, the building was still incomplete and only now - to  my knowledge - it is fully complete!

That building is, the Tokyo Sky Tree/東京スカイツリー! Can you notice the difference? (despite my awful photography skills) (⊃ω⊂) The Tokyo Sky Tree is of course criticised for it becoming the 'New Tokyo Tower' and despite all it's criticism, it is now the tallest tower in the world! You can find the Sky Tree's progress in photos here @ Wikipedia and other information on the tower and the features.
So as you may have guessed already, Asakusa is a wonderful place to visit, either to stay or as a very long day trip. The city itself has a lot of traditional gift shops, restaurants and it is really a beautiful place. (つД｀) For budget travellers I would definitely and strongly recommend this place too, for days you want to save money but see amazing sights.