.png)
RTW Trip Day #5: Exploring Senso‑ji, Ueno Park and the Tokyo National Museum
- andrewsco3
- Oct 5, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Welcome to our Round‑the‑World Family Sabbatical diary! We’re a Calgary‑based family travelling for 100 days, documenting each step so other families can get an honest, real‑life look at long‑term travel with kids - the highs, the chaos, and everything in between.
This is Day 5 of our Japan adventure, where we crammed as much as we could into our final full day in Tokyo - exploring temples, markets, and museums while making the most of every moment in this incredible part of the city.
You can browse the full 100‑day contents list here, but for now, join us as we wander through Asakusa’s iconic Senso‑ji Temple, sample street food in Ueno, glide across Shinobazu Pond in a swan boat, and finish at the incredible Tokyo National Museum.
Day 5 Highlights at a Glance
Exploring Senso‑ji Temple and Nakamise‑dori Market
Takoyaki at Ameyoko Market
Visiting Marishiten Tokudaiji and Kiyomizu Kannon Temples
Swan boat ride on Shinobazu Pondin Ueno Park
Tokyo National Museum, including a minor “lost bum bag” panic to finish the day
Today was our last full day exploring Tokyo, and it’s amazing how much we’ve managed to squeeze in so far - we're averaging nearly 20,000 steps a day despite still battling jet lag. With only five days here, it’s already obvious that it’s nowhere near enough time to see everything we’d hoped to.
Our Failed Attempt to Visit the Imperial Palace
Not everything always goes to plan, and this turned out to be the first (of many) mistakes in our itinerary. We had planned to visit the Imperial Palace earlier in our itinerary, but switched things around because of the rain on Wednesday, not realizing that entry to the gardens is closed on Mondays and Fridays.
When we arrived, the only way to access the grounds was through a guided tour, but they were already sold out. With a cooking class tomorrow and the Shinkansen to Kyoto right after, there’s just no way to squeeze it in now. At least it gives us a good excuse to come back to Tokyo one day!
Senso-ji Temple
Senso‑ji appears on every “best things to do in Tokyo” list, and walking through the Kaminarimon Gate with its giant red lantern is incredible. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and is one of its most culturally significant.
It was extremely busy though, and it’s hard to appreciate the peacefulness temples are known for when you’re surrounded by crowds this big, but it’s still genuinely awe‑inspiring.
Perhaps even more impressive is the five‑storey pagoda beside the temple. The detail and craftsmanship that went into building it are just incredible.
One small disappointment was that we didn't get a goshuin from Senso‑ji. We’ve been collecting them as a keepsake and a way to remember the temples we visit, but the queue here was enormous, and with a packed day ahead, we just didn’t feel it was worth waiting.
We really enjoyed walking up and down the market streets that lead to the temple, called Nakamise Street (Nakamise-dori in Japanese), and the hustle and bustle there actually adds to the experience, and the kids loved looking for small gifts for their friends, and while Jess picked out a pair of earrings.
Of course, whenever we wander through a market, we usually end up trying some street food, and today I finally ticked matcha ice cream off my list! It was nice enough, but not something I’d hurry back for - the flavour is pretty strong, and I definitely prefer it in a latte!
For anyone wondering how to get to Senso‑ji, it’s really easy - the closest stations are Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line and Toei Asakusa Line, and both are just a few minutes’ walk from the temple.
After the market, I headed up to the top of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, which is located directly across from Kaminarimon Gate. It's free to go up, and you get some great views of Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise-dori, and the Tokyo Skytree
Pro tip: Right next to Senso-ji Station we found a small shop selling the cutest little crepes that were shaped like a hedgehog, filled with whipped cream!
Ueno Park, Tokyo
Ueno Ameyoko Market
We took the train to Okachimachi Station, then walked through the market towards Ueno park. Now this is the sort of market I've been waiting for! Ameyoko Market is a great spot for street food, and I found the somewhat famous standing-only shop selling takoyaki, which are kind of like small Yorkshire puddings with a piece of squid inside. Hard to explain, but absolutely delicious.
As the girls didn't really fancy the octopus balls, we kept walking and found a restaurant serving katsu curry, which Susie had been craving since we arrived in Japan. Jess tried the curry and really enjoyed it, and Evelyn had a Japanese omelet, that was also a hit!
Marishiten Tokudaiji Temple
Right in the middle of Ameyoko market was a small Buddhist temple called Marishiten Tokudaiji. We went inside, Jess lit another candle for Grandad, and we picked up another goshuin. It was surprisingly peaceful, especially considering it was just steps away from the busy market!
If you’re new to goshuin, I wrote a full guide explaining what they are, how to collect them, and what to expect.
Kiyomizu Kannon Temple
We ventured into Ueno Park and our first stop was Kiyomizu Kannon Temple. It’s a beautiful spot overlooking the park, with a large wooden terrace that juts out over the hillside.
There’s even a tree shaped into a perfect circle that frames the path down to Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo, the temple located on an island in the middle of the pond.
Shinobazu Bentendo Temple
Shinobazu Bentendo Temple was just a short walk down the hill, but what makes it unique is that it sits on an island right in the middle of Shinobazu Pond. As we arrived there were street performers playing a traditional song with drums.
Shinobazu Pond
Shinobazu Pond is a large pond famous for its lotus plants. There’s a walkway that cuts through the pond so you can walk right among the lotus, although that area seemed to be part of Ueno Park Zoo.
We did consider visiting the zoo, but we’ve been making a point of researching any animal experiences on this trip, and from what we read, it seemed that the conditions aren’t great and the animals aren’t always well cared for, so we decided to give it a miss.
Riding a Swan Boat
Part of Shinobazu Pond is open water where you can rent swan-shaped boats and pedal around. The kids wanted a go, and it was only 1000 yen (around $9.30 CAD) for 30 minutes, which we thought was pretty reasonable. It was fun, but clearly designed for people shorter than me - thirty minutes was plenty!
Tokyo National Museum
The final stop for the day was the Tokyo National Museum, which is one of five Ueno Park museums. We only had time for one, so we chose this one thinking it would have the most “Japanese stuff” and give the kids a chance to learn more about the country’s history and culture
After all, we are meant to be homeschooling them along the way!
It's quite reasonable entry at 1,000 Yen (around $9 CAD) per adult and free for the kids.
The museum was huge, with incredible exhibitions on Japanese art, calligraphy, traditional kimono, and even samurai armour and swords, which were amazing to see up close.
The gardens behind the museum were really peaceful, with people sitting quietly and just taking it all in. It felt so different from what we’d see in Canada or the UK, where kids would be kicking footballs around instead!
There was a bit of last-minute drama when Jess realized she’d left her bag in the museum, which aside from being a lovely bag, had her rail ticket inside! We had to run back and try to explain the situation - easier said than done - but they eventually let us back in to grab it, and all was well in the end.
Ueno Park has been one of our favourite places in Tokyo so far - it really has a bit of everything!
This journal entry is part of our 100‑day Round‑the‑World family sabbatical, where we’re sharing the real, everyday moments of long‑term travel with kids - the fun, the frustrations, and everything in between.
If you’d like to follow along from the beginning, jump ahead to another destination, or explore our full itinerary, the links are below.
Previous Day: #4: Shibuya, Meiji Jingu Shrine and Shinjuku