See Skytree for free from the Asakusa Panda Bus
What eats, shoots and leaves? That's right -- a hungry giant panda with a gun (not pictured, FYI). What is it with panda-themed transportation? You wait a lifetime for a black-and-white, bamboo-eating ride to come along, then two turn up at once.
Going head-to-head with London's new Panda taxi cabs, Tokyo has its own fleet of Skytree-circling, two-tone conveyances cleverly branded the Asakusa Ueno Panda Bus.
From Asakusa, through the maze of backstreets, all the way to the new Skytree complex, this panda goes everywhere you want to be in the city's busiest tourist area -- for free.
No tickets required, no reservations needed; just hop on and hop off, seven days a week. (No pressure to mate in the public eye either, in case you're wondering.)
Despite the mixture of anticipation and humiliation you might feel in boarding a form of transport with a giant panda head on the front, this is a great sightseeing choice if you have older, younger or very hungover members in your party.
Besides, this is Asakusa -- shitamachi -- and it's all about leaving your uptown sensibilities, and maybe pride, behind.
Everyone is happy to see the Panda Bus. Children grin, tourists gawk, passengers wave back. Pandas just seem to have that effect, even giant, plastic-injection molded versions.
Hit the road
You can start your Panda Bus adventure in front of the stunning new Asakusa Tourist Center, right across the street from the Kaminarimon gate and the entrance to Sensoji Temple.
The eight-story Tourist Center sports English-speaking staff, timetables for the Panda Bus, bathrooms, currency exchange, a coffee shop and views of the Skytree and the temple from the uppermost glass deck.
Information-booth hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, and the Viewing Deck is open until 10 p.m.
Squeeze by the Jinrickshascrowding the street looking for fares and wait at the Panda Bus stop outside.
As soon as you get on you'll notice each seat has a set of panda ears sewn onto the white headrest. No, you may not take them off the bus and wear them. Also, this is not a "guided tour," but the driver does announce each stop in Japanese.
From Kaminarimon, the bus heads down several busy streets packed with Japanese tourists and boring ordinary tour buses. A round-trip takes about an hour, but there are several stops worth exploring along the way.
Kappabashi
At the ROX stop (two after Kaminarimon), you are only a short walk from the Kappabashi restaurant supply district.
This area has so many kitchen-supply stores it could reduce even an Iron Chef to tears of joy. Prices are low and the selection of traditional products massive. Most shops are closed on Sunday, so take care.
The kappa of the area's name is actually an evil water imp from Japanese mythology.
Though there is a lot of argument over the true origins of Kappabashi, local merchants have adopted the green, vaguely human amphibian as their mascot. It's everywhere and makes for some great photo ops.
More on CNNGo: Kappabashi: Where the super chefs go shopping
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