The best part of this class is its personal touch. Miwa adapts the menu to your diet, from vegan sushi plates and tofu dishes to a children’s menu or a requested recipe such as nabe gohan. You cook, ask questions, and then eat the lunch you made. I like the private format, which gives your…
Shibuya Crossing is easy to photograph badly. The crowds move fast, the signs compete for attention, and a phone held at arm’s length rarely captures the scale of the scene. This private 15 to 45-minute photoshoot gives you a photographer who can place you in the action and get polished shots before your sightseeing day…
The unusual part of this Tokyo activity is that you get to open an Akoya pearl shell and choose the pearl inside. At PICOLABO in Ueno, you then turn it into a ring or necklace with one-to-one help, rather than buying a finished souvenir from a shop. I like the hands-on choice and the personal…
Tokyo gives you old Buddhist temples, imperial gardens, neon crossings, food markets, and youth fashion in one long, fast-moving day. This private tour connects those very different sides of the city without asking you to work out every train, transfer, and neighborhood change yourself. I like the customizable route, which lets you shape the day…
Kawagoe gives you an old-Japan change of pace only about 30 minutes from Tokyo. This six-hour private tour lets you choose three or four stops in Little Edo, from warehouse streets and temples to a natural hot spring. Your guide handles the route, train or bus confusion, and much of the translation. I like the…
Mt. Fuji is the star, but this 10-hour trip gives you several different ways to meet it: reflected in Lake Kawaguchi, framed by flowers at Oishi Park, and looming above you at the 5th Station. I love that the day also includes Oshino Hakkai, where eight clear spring ponds and old-style houses provide a quieter…
Tokyo is easier to understand when someone shows you how its trains, shrines, food streets, and quiet corners fit together. This private Ueno tour does just that, with guide Itsuko, also called Issy or Izzie, shaping the outing around your interests rather than pushing you through a fixed group route. I like the one-to-one format…
PUREMIE gives you a polished night out built around four dance performances each day, pole shows, and regular stage acts. The club also brings in DJs and rap artists from time to time, so the exact musical flavor can change from one visit to the next. I like the short walk from Shinbashi Station, which…
Jigokudani Monkey Park is the star here: you can watch Japanese macaques soak in warm pools in a sulfur-scarred valley, then pair that sight with Nagano’s Zenko-ji Temple. I like the private car and flexible plan, especially for families or groups who would rather avoid trains and transfers. I also like having WiFi, highway tolls,…
Tokyo is at its most vivid from the driver’s seat. This 120-minute go-kart tour threads together Skytree, the sumo district, Tokyo Station, the Imperial Palace area, Tokyo Tower, Ginza, and Kabukiza, giving you a moving view of the city instead of another lookout platform. You drive your own street-legal kart, but a guide leads the…
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.