Be honest, we all have this fantasy of being that martial art master who can single handedly take out multiple opponents or to punch through wall and various hard objects. Martial art fans or not, I bet you have seen different performances with boards and tiles breaking which is one of the coolest thing everyone loves to do. Remember when Mr. Satan from Dragonball doing his bricks breaking training? Ever wonder where you can try out tiles breaking without actually joining any martial art school? Well, we’ve got your back.
Kawara Smash Karawana, Asakusa
Welcome to Kawara Smash Karawana, Asakusa. Only a 5 mins walk from the popular tourist spots of Sensoji and Hanayashiki, the Kawarana is a hidden gem that specializes is one service- to provide tile breaking/ smashing experience to everyone. Once you walked into the actual facility, you will be greeted by the kind owner Mr. Kawaguchi as he will walk you through some of the basic rules and history of tile breaking. The price system is simple, the more you smash, the more you pay. You can start from 1 tile with 500 yen, 5 tiles at 2,000yen or 10 tiles at 3,900 yen. You can also choose to challenge their “in-store Guinness Record” and to challenge the highest number of tiles being smashed. The record (as of October 16th) is currently 23 tiles. The challenge costs 5,000yen but if you could break the record, Kawarana will fully return the challenge fee back to you. You photo will also be placed at the hall of fame!
The place also offers different kinds of discount such as “smashed iPhone discount” meaning you will have a discount if your iPhone screen is cracked. But remember, android phones are not valid for this discount. There are also “kimono discount” for those who wear a kimono, “jinrikisha discount” for tourist riding rickshaw cart!
23 Kawara Tiles' Breaking Record Video:
Fill Out an Agreement Sheet
After all rule explanations, you will need to fill out an agreement on a couple rules you need to follow- starting with the no re-smashing rule. The form comes in Japanese, Chinese and English so you do need to worry signing things you are not certain about. In case you wonder how they dispose all the tiles, the broken tiles will be stacked up at the back and will be used as an actual roof tiles for homes.
Choose Your Costume
You can then choose to put on a costume of either a Happi, Karate or Taekwondo wear to make your experience more delightful. You can also choose not to wear any costume. Once you put to the gloves, Mr. Kawaguchi will show you the right gestures to break the tiles, it could be either a straight downward punch or a hammer fist.
Downward Punch
Hammer fist which recommended for beginners as it is easier to aim.
Beware not to have you feet parallel to the holding bricks in order to avoid accident.
After all the instructions, it is time for some tile breaking! I challenged 10 plates and the result was….
All tiles were nicely splitted into half except the very last one…
Kawarna will also film the whole scene for you and below is the video of me:
You will receive a sticker after the tile smashing as a gift of accomplishment.
The whole experience is unforgettable even though I did not break all of the tiles successfully. But it definitely gave me an adrenaline rush and made me feel happy for the rest of the day. It is also a great way to hype up your mood after a long trip temple or shrine sightseeing. What do you think about tile smashing? Will you be going if you are traveling to Asakusa?
Spot Information
- Spot name:Kawara Smash Kawarana
- Street Address: Asakusa 2-27-17, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm (Saturday ＆Sunday＆ public holiday only)
- Access:10 mins from Metro Asakusa station
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