Osaka Shinsekai Evening Food Tour

Our food tour in Osaka was led by EK, who was an excellent guide. The various food stops that we had provided an excellent opportunity to try different local foods. EK was very knowledgeable and was able to share insights about the various dishes that we were tasting. EK also provided other interesting information about Japan and it's history. We also did a stop at a local knife store, where they provided a really interesting overview of the history of knives. Overall, my wife and I had an excellent time and would highly recommend to anyone. [Note: my wife and I spent an evening visiting the Dotonbori area on our own to also try different food spots. This area is a different vibe and was very busy & loud. Though we also enjoyed that area, we are very happy that we chose the food tour in Shinsekai area which was a bit quieter.]

We had a really great evening on the food tour. The locations and food were fabulous. Our guide Kevin was brilliant. Such good fun and really knowable. It flew in!

We had a very enjoyable 3 hours with Melissa. She was fun .. and funny.. and knowledgeable. The food she introduced us to was great and she took us to places I probably would never have gone to otherwise. So a 5 star evening in my opinion

We had a great food tour in Osaka.Our guide was Rhea and she was very friendly and took us to authentic Japanese places we would never have found on our own.Highly recommend this tour if you are a foodie and enjoy trying new experiences.

Great food tour with Melissa. Her knowledge of Osaka and, particularly, its culinary delights was extraordinary. We tasted great food in various local spots not overwhelmed by tourists. We will definitely be back in Osaka for the food and vibe.

We had an amazing time with Akiko. She was exceptionally polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. Not only did we enjoy some fantastic food, but we also learned a great deal about the history of the area and Osaka as a whole. The tour exceeded our expectations, and we highly recommend it.

Our family of three had a great time with E.K. exploring Shinsekai. He was the perfect host, friendly and informative. We ate takoyaki (interesting octopus balls) and played pachinko, visited an arcade for shooting and saw a fascinating knife demonstration. And what delicious food! Tempura fried everything, sake and the best miso soup we had our whole trip. It was a glorious evening, thanks to E.K.!

Fun food tour with Ken. He had us try foods that we wouldn’t have tried. Also, took us to a few non food places. My boys especially loved the shooting arcade he took us too. The knives store/demonstration was nice too.

We had a wonderful tour with Lee as our guide. He took us to some of his favorite out of the way places, where we tasted several unique, yet delicious Japanese foods.

Our guide Miyuki (Miki) met us promptly at the agreed location and time. Miki was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and proud to be showing us part of her local experience. The food tour was great as well as Miki's enthusiasm in showing us Osaka's wealth of delights. She was open to many questions and we loved her natural flair to connect with people. We would thoroughly recommend this tour with Miki

We had Melissa as our guide and she is fabulous. We have a 12 year old is a very picky eater and somewhat shy. Melissa was able to sweet talk her into giving everything a try and managed to pull her out of her shell. Melissa also had great information and funny anecdotes about the area. One of the highlights of our trip!

the tour with Kentaro was very good and we enjoyed the exciting tourn , his explanations and of course the food.

We had a fantastic evening with EK. It was such fun trying all the different local dishes. All of which we enjoyed. We even had a game of smart ball. Highly recommend the tour.

Kevin took us to great places and was really knowledgeable and fun! It was definitely a treat! I would do it again for sure!!

We had a lovely evening with Tomo who not only gave us a great run through of nearby Osaka history but also guided us through some fantastic food experiences and local dishes, and finally some recommendations for ius to finish off our evening in stye. Thank you Tomo, Mark & Sue.

We had a wonderful food tour in Osaka with Melissa. She was very informative, knowledgeable, and interesting. We felt like we were out for the evening with a new friend! We tried many new food items and had a great experience at several restaurants. We would highly recommend the tour and especially enjoyed Melissa’s guidance.

This tour gave an excellent exposure to the street food in Osaka. We sampled a range of dishes and Japanese sweets on the tour. Our guide Keataro was brilliant, and shared many anecdotes and little known facts about Osaka with us. He was particularly helpful in choosing the dishes for my wife who is a vegetarian.

This was a really great tour! Tomo was our guide and navigated us through the Shinsekai district of Osaka, stopping for food and drinks at two excellent restaurants, and for snacks and street food along the way. Tomo also introduced us to a range of street games and (our favourite) a fantastic Japanese knife shop. He was great on his information and tradition, but also just a fun person to hang out with for an evening, and very kindly helped us out with the route home afterwards. We loved this, and would recommend to anyone!

Osaka Shinsekai Evening Tour with Matt was very informative and the food quite tasty.

Great way to experience traditional food! We had a wonderful journey with Melissa - age really explained the food and the culture.

Tomo is a very friendly guide who loves to impart what he knows about the culture. He’s a food lover and aims to please his guests. The tour takes you through lively Shinsekei and you try lots of different tasty treats, both sweet and savory. The group is small allowing for lots of good conversation. We had a great time.

Matt was a great guide, he took round the area explaining some interesting things about the local area, stopping off at several different restaurants and street stands for some great tastes of the local culinary specialties.

Kevin was an exceptional guide. Very informative and easy going. We had a enjoyable evening, tried a bunch of delicious food and learnt a lot. 10/10 I would recommend this tour to anyone

Osaka is a town of food and fun! Kentaro with Arigato Travel chose the best examples of both in old Osaka. We sampled traditional Osakan sweets, drinks, sushi and skewers all whilst Kentaro explained history, etiquette, culture and local lore. We visited a hidden Shinto shrine, an authentic blade manufacturer and took part in the carnival atmosphere which is Shinsekai in southern Osaka. With a zest for life and fun, Kentaro was the perfect guide.

Thursday 10th December Our evening food tour of Osaka’s Shinsekai area with our guide Akiko was an unforgettable mix of incredible food and local culture. We sampled a belltower sweet filled with seasonal white sweet potato, then moved on to crispy Kushi katsu skewers and savory okonomiyaki before enjoying what was easily the best sushi we’ve ever eaten, along with perfectly grilled yakitori, finishing on a silky egg custard. In between tastings, Akiko led us to a small local shrine, arranged a Japanese knife demonstration and explanation at the Tower Knife Shop. She even squeezed in some fun at a retro game parlor and at a shooting gallery. The pacing was perfect, the variety outstanding, and the experience felt both authentic and personal from start to finish.

We really enjoyed our tour with Natsumi! We learned a lot about the history of the area, the food culture of Osaka and dishes that were Natsumi’s personal favorites. The knife stop was really educational and we also loved learning about the crazy food signs that are an Osaka trademark.

We were joined by a lovely couple, Bruce and Kayleigh, from the States on this tour. The tour took us around 4-5 different food places, with our starters and main meal being served in different places. We also visited a local knife shop which was interesting and made all the better because there was no hard selling by the lovely person who gave us the demo of the excellent knives. We had two guides Ike and Tomo who were knowledgeable and really friendly. By the end of the tour we were just eating, drinking and chatting

We very much enjoyed the interesting, educational, and delicious tour. Our guide, Melissa, was knowledgeable, friendly and pleasant. It was a great pleasure.

We had an amazing experience with Melissa at the helm. Her local knowledge woven through her own experiences was amazing. Highly recommend this tour and Mellisa as a guide

My husband and I had an absolutely superlative tour with Melissa! She had some great plans, and was a wonderful resource on "things Japanese"! The tour she designed was so unique and fun that we would do it again in a heartbeat! We have shared our experience with friends planning to visit Osaka, and provided Arigato Japan Food Tours information.

This was an excellent to get orientated with Osaka's food culture. The tour was a bundle of food experiences, and our host was interesting, fun and engaging. We loved it.

Our guide Natsumi was lovely, gentle, friendly and very knowledgeable about the area and history, and most importantly the food! Small group of like minded people, by the end we were all chatting happily and sharing travel stories (and comparing pet photos). Our favourite meal was the Tako-yaki, we went for more the next day. Delicious. The tour included a stop at a local knife shop for a demonstration, it totally won me over and I went back the next day. I'm now a happy and proud owner of a beautiful chefs knife, which I can't wait to try out.

My wife and I took the tour with Kentaro as the very first the thing we did in Osaka. I could not recommend the tour more, especially to kick off the Osaka experience. Kentaro was brilliant, showing us a diverse range of restaurants and foods, as well as walking is through the area, explaining the history and culture of Osaka and being great fun along the way!

We took a daytime tour of the Shinsekai neighborhood with our awesome tour guide Sebastian. He took us to places to eat we would have normally strolled right past and got us set up with local delights. He also found us a shaved ice the size of a boulder. Amazing. Along the way, he shared all kinds of knowledge about the neighborhood. A great tour from a great guy.

Enjoyed a super fun and informative foodie tour of back street Osaka. Delicious local eateries and even a knife demonstration - all fingers remained intact. Ron is the man with a plan when it comes to rocking the retro food scene in this city of 35,000 eateries.

Kentaro was a wonderful tour guide! He made navigating Shinsekei and trying new foods so easy. He is very personable and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our evening and would recommend this tour to all our friends!

Easiest 5 star review, all because of our Tour Guide Natsumi. Not only were the food stops fantastic, she offered the perfect combination of history, culture, personal and local tidbits that really let us get to know the area and Japan as a whole. She was so friendly and open with us while being professional and informative. Really one of my favourite food tours ever.

The street food tour of Shinsekai was a good introduction to some Osaka’s street food. Particularly liked the octopus. Natsumi was a very likeable and interesting guide. She was knowledgeable and picked some great places to visit.

The travel guide was very friendly, and the explanations on the different types of native foods and their origins were clear. I also got to practice a bit of Japanese and using chopsticks. Aside from the tour, I got to take part in amusement games such as throwing ninja stars, archery, and shooting.

We had an amazing time. Our guide was Kevin and he took us to wonderful places, not only restaurants but also places where locals go for entertainment and local shops. Thank you so much.

Had a great time trying out some local specialties! We enjoyed all the food, and the experience of making Japanese Osaka-style pancakes was a delight. Our guide Russ was entertaining and extremely amenable to changing the itinerary, preemptively selecting highlights of both food and activities to give us the best Shinsekai has to offer.

Great fun, informative, informal and very enjoyable! I will be booking again for sure. We visited a great knife shop too!

We had a fantastic experience touring the vibrant Dotonbori district of Osaka with Ike from Arigato Tours. Ike was an exceptionally engaging and knowledgeable tour leader, especially well-versed in the local street food scene. He introduced us to some amazing culinary treats, including takoyaki (octopus-filled dough balls), which quickly became one of our favorites, and taiyaki—fish-shaped cakes filled with sweet custard—that were both delicious and fun to eat. Beyond the food, Ike offered plenty of insight into Japanese customs and local traditions, which really enriched the experience. His friendly demeanor and pleasant conversation made the tour not just informative, but truly enjoyable. Thanks to Ike, we left with full stomachs and a deeper appreciation for Osaka’s street culture and cuisine.

What a fun — and tasty! — tour. Our guide, Sae, was absolutely delightful and knew so much about the area, the food and the local culture! She created a traveling party out of our group of 8 tourists, with each stop bringing new and surprising activities. At one stop, we learned about Japanese knives and at another we played arcade games! And of course we ate and drank! Such a memorable evening—a real highlight of our Japan trip!

Initially very unsure about the tour but the guide Ike was excellent and spoke very good English. A super knowledgeable guide and generally interesting person to spend an evening with.

This food tour was amazing!! We walked through retro Shinsekai visiting diverse and local food stalls and even played some arcade games. Our tour guide, Sae, was incredible and so so knowledgable. Best night in Japan so far!

We had a fantastic evening with the wonderful guide Ronan. Some lovely food stops and interesting info about the area, lifestyle and culture. A rainy night didn’t stop the fun!! Ronan really made us feel welcome and we would 100% recommend this tour and tour guide.

We loved our food tour with Akiko! It was a great mix of good food, fun games, and history. Akiko was full of great information and made the tour very special. We had a great time and wish we’d done more tours during our time in Japan!

Ike was a fabulous tour guide. It was the perfect amount of history and relaxation. He made recommendations but also listened to personal preference. He got everyone to talk a little bit about themselves so we all because close on the tour. Food was fantastic and it was just a really enjoyable night. Loved Ike!