THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon - Ideal Location

THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon - Ideal Location

THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon is a hotel located in Tokyo's famous Asakusa District. During my trip across Japan this September, I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights and I was exploring the surrounding area. It was a cool experience and I would like to share it with you in this blog post.

If you have been following my blog posts, you know that during my trip to Japan I've been in Yokohama for several days. Unfortunately, during my stay there, a huge typhoon arrived in the area and messed up not only my plans but also the whole train timetable. As a result of that, I arrived at THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon behind schedule and extremely tired. Luckily the hotel is located very close to Asakusa station and I didn't have to walk a lot. The check-in procedure was quickly completed in and I was shown to my room. After getting to the room I relaxed a bit, unpacked, and enjoyed the view of the Tokyo Skytree and the surrounding buildings from my window. 

By the time I was ready to head out and explore Asakusa, the Sun was already starting to set, but there was still large activity in the street. Many tourists were exploring the area, some of them in a Jinrikisha, a 2-wheeled passenger cart that is pulled by a rickshaw runner. I also spotted a lot of people wearing traditional kimonos or yukatas. This was to be expected since this was a popular tourist area in Tokyo thanks to the nearby Sensoji temple. 

THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon is even named after this since Kaminarimon is one of the gates that lead up to the Sensoji temple. This gate is located right in front of the hotel and marks the beginning of the Nakamise-dōri street which leads to the temple itself. The street is known for being one of the best places to buy traditional souvenirs, everything from kimonos and yukatas, to street food and even traditional Japanese dog leashes. By the time I arrived at the Sensoji temple, it was already dark and the lights were lit up to showcase the temple and the pagoda. Since it was getting late, there were less and fewer people so I could enjoy it in a more intimate environment and I loved it! Because of that, I definitely suggest that you come here a bit later if you want to experience the same thing. Just be careful not to come too late since after 11 p.m. the lights go out. After exploring this area I headed back to the hotel to refresh a bit before heading out again. I loved that the hotel was so close to many hot spots in Asakusa, so it was no problem coming back for a quick refreshment or snacks. This time I went to Hoppy Street, an area famous for many izakayas and bars where you can eat and drink with the locals during the whole day, even during the weekdays. I had a lot of fun there and met a lot of cool people. When I was done with partying and wanted to go back to the hotel, I didn't need to get a cab or take the train since Hoppy street was just a walking distance away from THE GATE HOTEL.

The next day I decided to hop on the subway and visit some nearby areas such as Akihabara and Ueno. They were located only a few stops away so I did not lose any time. I would also like to note that the Tokyo Skytree is located not far from the hotel, only a short trip across the Sumida River. However, I did not visit the Skytree since I already visited it on my last trip and my time was limited.

In the end, I can conclude that the location of THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon is ideal both for the people who want to go sightseeing as much as possible and for those of you who want to spend some nights partying and meeting friendly locals. Also, many of Tokyo's most popular tourist destinations are just a stone throws away, so I definitely suggest that if you plan to visit this part of Tokyo, check out THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon and consider it as a potential base for your trip to this area.