“sustabi” is an information site for sustainable travel. One of its guidelines is to “enjoy the destination slowly on foot or bicycle”.
So, for the purpose of media interchange, a TABIRIN staff member joined the sustabi editorial team on a leisurely bicycle tour of the Asakusa area to explore the traditions of the area.
Contents
Rent a bike at Keisei Ueno and Asakusabashi
Rent a cross bike at Keisei Bicycle Renatal (Keisei Ueno Station Baggage Counter).
The bicycles is KhodaaBloom cross bikes. Not only can you rent a helmet, but you can also check in your baggage.
From Keisei Ueno Station, head to Asakusabashi Station, about 3km to the southeast.
I will meet up with sustabi members at Hulic Asakusabashi Building Bicycle Parking Lot, which is right next to Asakusabashi Station.
At Hulic Asakusabashi Building bicycle parking lot, you can reserve a rental bicycle two weeks in advance of the day of use.
Helmets are not available for rental, so we prepared for cycling with the helmets we brought.
We started off in the direction of Ryogoku.
From Ryogoku to Asakusa
Cross Ryogoku Bridge to Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Passing in front of the Ryogoku Kokugikan, we went to “ethica,” a flower shop specializing in ethical flowers, feeling the pleasant breeze in the clear weather.
Unfortunately, the shop was closed, so I took only a photo of the storefront.
Cross Komagata Bridge and have lunch at “Komakata Dozeu” head store
Ride north from “ethica” and cross Komagata Bridge.
Turn left on Edo-dori (Edo street) while looking at Sky Tree, and go to “Komakata Dozeu” (a loach restaurant).
This restaurant is full of emotion and offers the traditional taste that has been popular with the common people since the Edo period.
The traditional “dozeu-nabe” (loach pot) stewed in a secret sauce has no fish smell and the bones are tender, and we enjoyed the taste that has remained unchanged for a long time.
From Kaminarimon to Denbouin-dori and Orange-dori
450m north of Komakata Dozeu is Asakusa’s famous Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate).
From Kaminarimon, a side street of Nakamise-dori leads to Denbouin-dori, a street lined with stores that cross Nakamise-dori from east to west.
It is a shopping street lined in front of the gate of Denbouin temple, the main temple of Sensoji temple, and was renovated in the 2000s to recreate the streets of the Edo period (1603-1868).
Kanaya Brush is a specialty shop specializing in brushes with techniques handed down from the Taisho period (1912-1926).
On Orange-dori, there is Morigin Asakusa, established in 1927.
Morigin manufactures and sells “Tokyo silverware”, a nationally designated traditional handicraft. Only Tokyo receives such a designation in silverware.
Asakusa Maekawa Inden has been manufacturing and selling Inden (sheep or deer skin tanned, dyed, and painted with lacquer) over 400years in Asakusa, the center of the traditional craft industry.
Asakusa Magewappa Shibata Yoshinobu Shoten was founded in Odate City, Akita Prefecture in 1966 and opened its Asakusa store in 2010.
They sell Odate Magewappa made of Akita cedar.
I parted from sustabi members here and rode toward Ueno, returning my bicycles to Keisei Bicycle Rental to finish the cycling tour.
Course Introduction
▼ Keisei Bicycle Rental Service
https://cycle.ryde-go.com/ports/keisei-rental-cycle-ueno
▼Hulic Asakusabashi Building Bicycle Parking Lot Bicycle Rental Service
https://www.tobu-re-parking.jp/detail.php?PARKING_ID=581
▼Komakata Dozeu
https://www.dozeu.com/en/
Summary
The word “sustainable” is becoming more and more common, but many people do not know what to do about it.
What each person can do is different, but as one way to learn about “sustainable”, it was instructive to visit shops that have been around for a long time.
There are things that have remained unchanged for a long time, and things that have evolved in response to the times and needs while preserving traditions.
Through this cycling experience, I recognized once again that the bicycle is one of these items.
If you are interested in learning more about “sustainable travel,” please visit the sustabi website.
▼sustabi
https://sustabi.com/
