Making sushi is far less mysterious when a chef places the rice, fish, and tools in front of you and shows you what to do. In this 90-minute Tokyo class, you make tuna and salmon nigiri under close guidance, then eat what you have prepared. I like the small-group feel, which lets the instructor correct…
Tokyo can feel like several cities stitched together by rail. In four hours, you might move from the old lanes of Asakusa to the neon rush of Shibuya, or from a quiet shrine to the food stalls of Tsukiji. The real point of this private tour is not to check off every sight. It is…
Tsukiji is not just a place to grab sushi. It is a working food district where seafood, dried goods, sweets, meat, and cooking ingredients crowd the narrow lanes. This two-hour walk gives you a local guide to make sense of it all, with a stop at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple before the food stalls take over….
Tokyo rewards a flexible plan, and this private tour lets you shape the day around what matters to you. You might combine Tsukiji Market and Senso-ji with Meiji Shrine and Shibuya, or trade famous sights for food, shopping, literature, gardens, or quieter neighborhoods. I like the personal planning before the tour and the freedom to…
Tokyo is easiest to enjoy when someone else handles the city’s maze of train lines and neighborhood changes. This private custom tour lets you choose your priorities, then explore with a guide such as Akari, LAX, Yosuke, Ken, or Atsu. I like two things here: you can learn the rail system while moving around, and…
Tokyo can feel like several cities stitched together by train lines. This private tour solves that problem by letting you choose your priorities, then pairing you with a nationally licensed guide who can explain what you are seeing. One day might link Senso-ji in Asakusa, the Imperial Palace gardens, Tsukiji, and Meiji Jingu. Another might…
Driving a go-kart through central Tokyo sounds slightly mad, which is exactly the appeal. This guided route takes you past Tokyo Station, Ginza, and Akihabara, giving you a fast-moving look at the city from street level while a lead driver keeps the group together. I like the unusual route and the fact that the guides…
Asakusa gives you Tokyo at its most traditional, with the giant red Kaminarimon Gate, the incense-filled grounds of Sensoji Temple, and old shopping streets packed into one easy walk. For $22, you get a useful introduction to a part of the city that can feel confusing on your own. I like the clear contrast between…
Tsukiji is easy to enjoy and surprisingly easy to mishandle. The stalls are packed into narrow lanes, food choices come fast, and the famous name can make it hard to tell a good buy from a tourist price. This tour puts a local guide beside you as you move from Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple into the…
Mt. Fuji is best seen from several angles, and this private day trip gives you the freedom to chase those views. You can combine the mountain with Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai, shrines, and the famous Chureito Pagoda instead of being tied to one fixed route. The catch is simple: weather controls the show, and…
Insider guides, cultural deep-dives and current-affairs reporting on Tokyo and Japan, written by people who live here and go to the places they write about.