Asakusa puts Tokyo’s oldest temple and the amusement park that calls itself Japan’s oldest a few minutes’ walk apart. With a small child, one decision matters more than the order you visit them in: where you will feed and change the baby.
Decide this first: feeding
There is no nursing room inside the grounds of Senso-ji. The nearest one is on the second floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, directly across from Kaminarimon (9:00–20:00): two nursing rooms with doors that close, a bottle-preparation machine, and a nappy-changing bed.
In practice this means Asakusa is a there-and-back day: you cross back to the gate before you go in, and again after. Learn it now and you avoid pushing a stroller back down the stone approach.
For nappies alone the temple grounds have two changing tables, two family restrooms and a lift, and strollers are fine throughout.
Morning at the temple
The main hall is open 6:00–17:00 (from 6:30 October to March). The grounds themselves are open, and entry is free. A stone-paved shopping street runs from the great gate to the hall.
Going early is worth it because that street fills with people during the day. With a stroller, the first hour is the one that moves.
Midday at Hanayashiki
Asakusa Hanayashiki began as a flower garden in 1853 and is now a small amusement park that calls itself Japan’s oldest. Open 10:00–18:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing; the official site notes hours vary with season and weather). There are no fixed closing days — closures are announced on the official calendar.
Children aged 0–4 enter free (a few rides charge). Entry alone is ¥1,600 for adults and ¥800 for children, with ride tickets at ¥100 each (11 for ¥1,000). The all-day ride pass is ¥4,600 adults, ¥3,400 children. With a small child for half a day, entry plus a few ride tickets usually fits better — four rides have a height limit.
It is well equipped: seven nappy-changing tables, two nursing spaces, a family restroom, hot water for bottles, a lift — and you may bring your own food. Indoor and outdoor areas are mixed, so half of it still works in light rain.
There is no car park and no bicycle parking (five minutes on foot from Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express).
If you are staying
Asakusa View Hotel is a high-rise in the middle of Asakusa, walking distance from both. It offers cots (for babies not yet pulling to stand), five nappy-changing tables and two nursing rooms, a nappy bin, a children’s toilet, a washing machine, baby amenities and children’s meals. Luggage is held on the first floor both before check-in and after check-out.
One thing to plan for: heating and cooling are controlled for the whole building, not per room (you can adjust the fan only). If your child runs hot or cold at night, pack bedding you can adjust yourself.
Breakfast on the 26th floor is ¥4,500 for adults and ¥2,600 for primary-school children (7:00–9:30, no reservations). The heated pool on the 5th floor is pay-per-use.
How to order the day
Temple in the morning, park at midday, feeding across from the gate. Fix those three and the rest can follow your child’s mood. In rain, start with the indoor half of Hanayashiki and leave the approach for the evening, when it empties out.
