Tokyo food is best understood with your hands busy. In this private home cooking class, Eri shows you how Japanese rice, dashi, and nori work together before you prepare three kinds of sushi rolls and fluffy, crisp tempura. You eat the results at a Japanese-style table, saying itadakimasu before the first bite. I like the…
Mt. Fuji is the star here, but the real advantage is having a private car connect several far-flung sights in one long day. You begin with spring-fed ponds, visit a ninja-themed garden, ride up to the 5th Station, and finish beside Lake Kawaguchi without wrestling with several train and bus connections. I like the flexible…
Mount Fuji and Hakone make a big day from Tokyo, but this private trip lets you cover both without changing trains or fitting your plans to a group schedule. You can visit Lake Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park, Hakone Shrine, and the Hakone Ropeway, with hotel pickup and drop-off included. I like the door-to-door service and the…
Kamakura’s Great Buddha is the star here, but the real appeal is having a private van and a flexible schedule for a long day south of Tokyo. You can pair famous temples with Komachi Street, Enoshima, or even Yokohama, depending on what matters most to you. I like the chance to shape the day around…
Japan Premium Lounge turns a formal Japanese garment into a quick, polished souvenir session. In about 30 minutes, you can wear an ornate uchikake or formal hakama, pose inside a sophisticated Ginza lounge, and leave with photo data rather than spending half a day getting dressed. I like the one-minute base kimono and the chance…
Making matcha by hand gives this Ginza experience its appeal. You learn how powdered tea is prepared, hear a short explanation of tea ceremony customs, then drink your own cup with a wagashi sweet. I like the small one-to-two-person format and the fact that Aki takes time to explain both technique and history. The $13…
The best part of this Asakusa night walk is the change of mood. Sensoji Temple and Nakamise Street feel far calmer after dark, while a drink of Denki Brandy connects you with an old Asakusa custom. I like the quiet temple setting and the chance to see photo spots that are easy to miss alone….
Akihabara is much more than anime figures and neon signs. This four-hour walk introduces you to the neighborhood’s wider otaku culture, from purikura photo booths and crane games to retro consoles, trading cards, cosplay shops, snacks, and a maid cafe. I like the small group of no more than eight and the way the route…
Tokyo’s ghost stories feel most unsettling when they are tied to places you can actually visit. This tour leads you from Tokyo Station to Yoshiwara-jinja Shrine, where a vengeful spirit is said to have haunted the area for more than 1,000 years. Office workers nearby are still said to avoid turning their backs toward the…
Mount Fuji gives this outing its big moment, but the Kawaguchiko Panoramic Cable Car makes the view easy to reach. You ride above Lake Kawaguchi, then pair Fuji with a pagoda at Niikurayama Asama Park and clear spring ponds at Oshino Hakkai. I like the mix of famous sights and small cultural stops. I also…
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.