Roppongi gets a fresh personality during Tokyo’s Christmas season. This 2.5-hour evening walk links Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills, taking you from tree-lined light displays to a German Christmas market and a fine view of Tokyo Tower. I like the efficient route and the chance to see several major illumination spots in one night. I…
Tokyo is a fine place to learn what matcha really is. In this small, hands-on session, you compare teas from five Japanese growing areas, including six ceremonial-grade matchas and two products sold worldwide as matcha but not technically defined as matcha. You taste first, then whisk your own cup. I like the unusually personal teaching:…
Tokyo rewards a plan made for you. On this private four-hour tour, you can focus on old temples, food, modern neighborhoods, or a mix of all three instead of following a fixed route. Guide Ian James Kerr is named by several participants as funny, polite, flexible, and full of useful city knowledge. I like the…
Tokyo’s winter lights give the city a different face: bright streets, seasonal displays, Christmas markets, and smaller illumination spots that are easy to miss when you follow a standard sightseeing route. This three-hour private tour pairs you with a local Tokyoite who shapes the walk around your interests. I like the personal planning and the…
Nikko gives you a rare two-for-one day: grand Tokugawa-era shrines below, cool mountain scenery above. This private tour links Tokyo with Shinkyo Bridge, Toshogu Shrine, Lake Chuzenji, and Kegon Falls by public transportation, with a guide handling the route and explaining what you are seeing. I like the private format because you can adjust the…
Making Nerikiri turns a sweet snack into edible Japanese art. In this small Omotesando class, you shape bean paste and rice flour into four designs, then sit down for matcha and carefully selected sweets from around Japan. I like the mix of clear instruction and creative freedom, and I like that you take your handmade…
The fun begins before the first photograph: women and girls choose a silk kimono, while men and boys suit up in samurai clothing with a sword. I like the indoor studio setting, which keeps your session comfortable in Tokyo rain, heat, or winter cold. I also like that the photographer works only with your party,…
Hakone’s best moments come from its contrasts: steaming volcanic ground at Owakudani, a quiet shrine by the lake, mountain views, and first-rate art. This private tour lets you cover a lot of ground without wrestling with Hakone’s trains, buses, ropeway, and boat connections. I like the private vehicle for up to six people, especially for…
Tokyo is too large to understand through a single postcard view. This private walking tour lets you shape a short visit around the places you care about, then ask a local guide all the questions that never fit in a guidebook. The custom plan is the real attraction, especially if this is your first day…
The clever part of this Asakusa tour is its finish: after temples, river views, and old entertainment streets, you reach Kappabashi Kitchen Town, where restaurant cooks shop for Japanese knives. I like the pairing of cultural sightseeing with a useful purchase, and I like that the tour ends at the knife shops rather than sending…
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.