Asakusa — The Hidden Vengeance of the Three Founders
Uncover the dark secret behind Asakusa's three legendary founders. A centuries-old murder plot, a hidden statue, and a conspiracy that shaped Tokyo itself—solve it before the truth dies with the temple.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 628 AD, two fishermen discovered a golden statue of Kannon in the Sumida River
October 28, 1873 — The bloody enigma of Asakusa
In 628 AD, two fishermen discovered a golden statue of Kannon in the Sumida River. But legend omits the truth: the statue was stolen from a rival temple, and its discovery triggered a chain of murders that would be buried for over 1,300 years. The third founder, Haji no Nakamoto, was not a pious monk—he was an accomplice to a crime that demanded vengeance. When Tokugawa Iemitsu built Asakusa Shrine in 1649 to honor the three men as deities, he unknowingly sealed away evidence of their guilt. Now, hidden within the sacred grounds of Asakusa, encrypted in temple records and carved into forgotten monuments, lies the confession: who really killed the original temple keeper? Why was the statue hidden? And what price did the founders pay for their silence? Your mission: decrypt the conspiracy, trace the bloodline of vengeance through Asakusa's oldest shrines and streets, and expose the dark pact that transformed three criminals into immortal gods.
« L'épée du samouraï est l'âme du samouraï »— Proverbe japonais de l'époque d'Edo
1873: Asakusa at the dawn of modernity
In 1873, the Meiji era is in full swing. Emperor Mutsuhito officially abolished the samurai class in 1871, banning the carrying of swords and eliminating their feudal privileges. This social revolution upends a thousand-year-old order: tens of thousands of warriors find themselves without status, forced to retrain as merchants, artisans or civil servants. Many resist, nostalgic for the old world.
Asakusa, a working-class district in eastern Edo that became Tokyo, symbolizes this transition. Around Sensō-ji temple, artisans rub shoulders with the new bourgeoisie, geishas now serve foreign diplomats, and the first rickshaws (jinrikisha) replace palanquins. But in the narrow alleys persist ancient codes of honor, vendettas, trafficking in forbidden weapons. The contrast between tradition and modernity creates explosive tensions — like the one that erupted that autumn evening in 1873.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 15€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Authentic criminal investigation
Based on Tokyo Metropolitan Police archives from 1873
Meiji historical transition
Immerse yourself in the abolition of the samurai class and its dramatic consequences
Traditional Asakusa
Explore the historic district preserved since the Edo period
Unravel the threads of a Japan in transition
Between tradition and modernity, a crime reveals a society in upheaval
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Solve this authentic criminal case from the Meiji era. Walk through the historic Asakusa district following Inspector Yamada Seizō's footsteps. Reconstruct the final hours of the three murdered samurai and unmask their killer through period testimonies and clues collected in the iconic locations of 1873 Tokyo.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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