TOKYO >> Tourists dressed in kimono and riding in rickshaws are a common sight in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. The slightly higher vantage point from a seat on a rickshaw can be a way to discover Asakusa’s charms.

English, Chinese, Spanish — a symphony of languages can be heard around the Kaminarimon gate of Sensoji temple.

“Taking a stroll in a rented kimono, rickshaws and Japanese food — bundling these three mainstays is an efficient way of enjoying Asakusa tourism to the fullest,” said Shinichiro Yamaguchi of hotel and restaurant firm Fujita Kanko Inc.

Yamaguchi devised the “Japanese culture experience” plan that includes kimono rental and fitting, a ride in a rickshaw and a Japanese lunch for $73.50.

Working with local businesses, they began soliciting customers in September through the Asakusa Tourism Federation website.

I followed two women in their 20s from Hong Kong as they took part in the tour.

At the kimono rental shop Hanaka, they were outfitted in Japanese attire. After the women selected kimono and obi sashes from a wide selection, the shop’s staff spent about 30 minutes helping them into the robes.

When they saw each other in kimono, they smiled in delight and proclaimed, “So cute!” as they posed for photos in a corner of the store.

An English-speaking rickshaw driver waited for them outside the store. The two-person rickshaw had a retro design intended to evoke the time when Japan was just opening to the West during the Meiji era (1868-1912).

Following the Sumidagawa river, the rickshaw passed the Azumabashi bridge with its striking red balustrades and the Kaminarimon gate before turning through the alleys around the Sensoji temple. Tokyo Skytree could be seen across the river.

After about 15 minutes, the driver dropped the pair off at the ride’s starting point.

“The rickshaw was faster and more comfortable than I thought it’d be,” one of the women said. “I got a taste of regular Japanese life in the alleys.”

After the ride, the women had lunch at the Japanese restaurant Origami Asakusa, which is run by Fujita Kanko.

The main course was fried beef cutlets, followed by tokoroten, a jellied agar garnished with dark molasses, for dessert.

After the meal, they walked around Asakusa in their kimono, which did not have to be returned until the evening.

“The current trend in travel is experience-based. Putting on a kimono, riding on a rickshaw and talking with the driver, these are out-of-the-ordinary experiences. I think Japanese customers would enjoy it as well,” Yamaguchi said.