Asakusa Sweet Potato Food Guide: Yakiimo, Daigaku Imo, Imo Yokan and More

Walk a few blocks from Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa, and you start to notice a pattern. One shop sells candied sweet potatoes, and the next sells sweet potato bars. A third, meanwhile, grills little sweet potato cakes. The Asakusa sweet potato tradition is real, and it makes a surprisingly good theme for an afternoon. This guide turns that tradition into a self-guided food walk. First, it explains why Asakusa has so many sweet potato shops and how the main treats differ. It also suggests an order that makes tasting them easier, then covers budget, etiquette, souvenirs, and useful Japanese words. TOCAsakusa Sweet Potato Guide at a Glance In short, you can taste four very different sweet potato foods within a short walk of Senso-ji Temple. They are grilled imo kin, candied daigaku imo, roasted yakiimo, and a dense, sliceable sweet potato confection called imo yokan. Each comes from a different shop, and each also has its own story. Quick Facts Walk typeSelf-guided tasting route around Senso-ji, Asakusa, Tokyo Time neededAbout 2 to 3 hours, including a temple visit StopsFour sweet potato shops plus a break at Senso-ji Start and finishKaminarimon Gate, then back toward Asakusa Station B...