Tokyo 2019: Kaminarimon and Nakamise at night

On my arrival night for my second visit to Tokyo I spent a couple hours in Asakusa, starting by the Sumida River and then moving up to the area around Sensoji Temple. When I got to Kaminarimon Gate I found it much the same as at the start of 2019 journey. Crowds were still swarming but since I was there at night it was easier to see the guardian statues inside the gate.

Right behind Kaminarimon is the Nakamise shopping street that leads up to Sensoji Temple. All the various businesses on the street shut down at night but there’s actually a good reason to come after dark. Many of the rolling metal shutters that cover the storefronts have colorful murals on them and you can only see these when the businesses are closed. Nakamise is much less busy at night than during the day, so you can take your time to slowly walk down the street and admire all of the artwork.