Pokémon GO to take over Tokyo’s Asakusa with ukiyo-e style routes

Hey, honey, take a walk on the wild Pikachu side.

The Asakusa area of Tokyo, with its richness of culture and history, is one of the city’s most popular spots to visit. However, it can be hard to navigate for the uninitiated if they want to enjoy everything the district has to offer, but luckily Pokémon GO is here to help!

The mobile phone game is taking advantage of its gameplay based on real-world maps to help guide you around the sights of Asakusa while you catch lots of Pokémon along the way. It does this with the help of the new Routes feature in which a predetermined path appears on the map which players can walk along to earn additional items.

In this way, Pokémon GO players who visit Asakusa can follow one of eight themed routes created to guide them through the best spots in the area. The whole area will also be decorated with Pokémon GO imagery in the style of traditional ukiyo-e woodblock prints and each route is given its own mascot Pokémon which will also appear more frequently in the game.

1. Past and Present Route

Represented by the perennially popular Pikachu, this 1.2-kilometer (0.75-mile) course runs from the equally popular traditional scenery around Sensoji Temple to the modern architectural marvel that is the Tokyo SkyTree.

2. Full Stomach Route

This 700-meter route will take you around the best eateries in the area. It’s sure to be popular with foodies as well as Pokémon GO players in search of the elusive shiny, hundo, or dare I say shundo version of this route’s representative Pokémon Snorlax.

3, Scenic Route

Join the many Raltses, Kirlias, and Gardevoirs along this tranquil 850-meter route that guides you through some of the more photogenic parts of Asakusa.

4. Recreation Route

Fun is the name of the game in this 850-meter route that stops by some of Asakusa’s many culture and leisure spots. Pokémon GO trainers can also enjoy trying to stockpile shiny and hundo Eevees for their many evolutions.

5. Astonishing Route

This 750-meter route takes you through Asakusa’s more surprising and unusual sights where you’re sure to find the surprising and unusual Pokémon Darumaka, whose daruma-esque appearance fits in well with the overall vibe of the area.

6. Waterside Route

Asakusa also has a lovely walking path alongside the Sumida River and you can take full advantage of it by following this 750-meter route while catching loads of Magikarp to fill out your Fisher badge requirements.

7. Side Street Route

This route takes you off the beaten path and through 800 meters of the area’s narrow side streets for a totally different experience. You’ll be sure to find the original alley cat Meowth there too.

8. Night View Route

Asakusa also takes on a totally different look at night and this 750-meter route will let you see it from the best viewpoints while also enjoying the gentle glow of the many Litwicks that can be found.

Everyone is welcome to take on any or all of these routes but only one needs to be completed in order to get a free sticker of the Asakusa Pokémon ukiyo-e map by showing your route badge to the staff at the Asakusa View Hotel Annex Rokku. This map will also be displayed as a massive nine-meter (29-foot) scroll hung in the Rokku Broadway with a 4-meter (13-foot) tall real Pokéstop installed nearby.

▼ The Pokémon shown on the map are more likely to appear in their corresponding locations in their basic forms.

There’s lots of other fun stuff too like this ukiyo-e style mural of a Pokémon trainer battle on the side of the Don Quijote in Asakusa. The part next to Pikachu is empty so you can pose in the scene for photos, but I suppose to fit in with the ukiyo-e theme, it’d be best to lift one of your knees up as high as you can while pointing a wide-open palm to the ground.

All you need to do to take part is bring your smart device loaded with Pokémon GO to Asakusa anytime between 25 November and 10 December. Who knows? You might even spot our own Pokémon GO correspondent P.K. Sanjun prowling around there too!

Source: PR Times via Japaaan
Featured image: YouTube/Pokémon GO Japan
Insert images: PR Times
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